A murder trial has commenced at Liverpool Crown Court for a man accused of stabbing his girlfriend 18 times in her Huyton flat. Michael Ormandy, 34, denies murdering 32-year-old Rebekah Campbell, claiming he acted in self-defence during the incident on April 15, 2025.
The court heard that Ms. Campbell was found collapsed outside her Knowsley Heights apartment building, having suffered multiple stab wounds. Before she died, she told neighbours who came to her aid, "My fella stabbed me."
Key Takeaways
- Michael Ormandy, 34, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of murdering Rebekah Campbell, 32.
- Ms. Campbell was stabbed 18 times and sustained a total of 27 wounds in her Huyton flat.
- The prosecution argues it was a "sustained and violent assault," while Ormandy claims self-defence.
- The court heard details of a previous altercation between the couple just three days before her death.
- A friend who was on the phone with Ms. Campbell at the time of the attack heard her shout "get out Mick" before the line went quiet.
Prosecution Opens Case in Court
Prosecutor David McLachlan KC opened the case, telling the jury that Michael Ormandy attacked and killed his partner in her fifth-floor flat. The court was told that on the evening of Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Ms. Campbell was on a routine phone call with her friend, Faye Henderson.
During the call, Ms. Henderson reported hearing Ms. Campbell suddenly shout words to the effect of "go away, get out Mick." This was followed by a loud bang and the sound of barking puppies before the phone line went silent.
Mr. McLachlan stated that Ms. Henderson, concerned for her friend's safety, immediately called 999. He told the jury:
"Faye Henderson was right to be concerned about her friend, because, inside that flat in Huyton, on the fifth floor, Michael Ormandy, the man in the dock, stabbed his partner Rebekah Campbell many, many times. In reality, he stabbed her to death."
Ms. Campbell managed to leave her flat and was found collapsed outside the building. Despite the efforts of neighbours, police, and paramedics, she was pronounced dead at Aintree Hospital in the early hours of April 16.
A Relationship in Decline
The court heard that Ormandy and Ms. Campbell had been in a relationship for approximately four months. According to Ms. Henderson, the relationship "was not going well," and her friend was considering ending it. Another witness, Josh Collins, described how the defendant would allegedly call Ms. Campbell names and had been seen arguing and pushing her on previous occasions.
Events Leading to the Incident
The prosecution detailed a prior altercation that occurred just three days before Ms. Campbell's death. On the evening of April 12, the couple was out in Liverpool city centre when an argument began. Ms. Campbell was said to have thrown a shoe at Ormandy and slapped him.
Later that night, a second argument occurred where Ms. Campbell was seen "kicking out" at Ormandy. He responded by striking her in the face, causing her to fall and suffer a black eye.
When Ormandy was arrested on a canal towpath shortly after the fatal stabbing on April 15, he reportedly told officers, "This wouldn’t have happened if you did your job last week," an apparent reference to the earlier incident.
The Defendant's Account
Michael Ormandy, of Linacre Road in Litherland, denies the charge of murder. His defence is based on a claim of self-defence and a lack of intent to kill or cause serious harm.
In a prepared statement given to police, Ormandy claimed that when he entered Ms. Campbell's flat on April 15, she immediately screamed, "I’ve got a knife," and he saw a weapon in her hand. He stated that he attempted to disarm her and that she "remained on top of him and was attacking him."
Ormandy told police he "responded by punching her to her body in self-defence" until he could push her away. He also claimed that if police had arrested Ms. Campbell after the incident on April 12, the subsequent events would not have occurred.
Pathologist's Findings
A Home Office post-mortem examination revealed that Rebekah Campbell sustained a total of 27 separate wounds. This included 18 stab wounds and nine slash wounds, which were concentrated on the left side of her body. A pathologist concluded that the injuries were consistent with the use of "severe force" and that wounds on her left arm were "indicative of defence injuries." The official cause of death was recorded as stab wounds to the chest.
The Trial Continues
Concluding his opening statement, Mr. McLachlan addressed the jury directly. He argued that the evidence points squarely at Ormandy as being responsible for the murder.
"This was not, and never could be, self defence. His intent was clear at the outset. It was an intention to kill rather than an intention to cause really serious harm, given the number of wounds that were inflicted by him on Rebekah Campbell. The prosecution case is that this was murder."
After his arrest, police recovered a mobile phone from the canal where Ormandy was found, which he had allegedly tried to discard. The trial, presided over by the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC, is expected to last for approximately two weeks.