Kelly Fauvrelle: Pregnant woman \'killed by ex in cowardly attack\'

Kelly Fauvrelle: Pregnant woman 'killed by ex in cowardly attack'

Kelly Mary Fauvrelle Image copyright Facebook
Image caption Kelly Fauvrelle was stabbed to death at her house in Raymead Avenue, Croydon

A heavily pregnant woman was stabbed to death by her ex in a "vicious and cowardly" attack, a court has heard.

Kelly Fauvrelle was knifed 21 times in her Croydon bedroom. Her baby boy Riley, who was delivered by caesarean, died four days later.

Aaron McKenzie, from Peckham, denies the murder of Ms Fauvrelle and Riley's manslaughter.

The Old Bailey heard the 26-year-old broke into his ex's home as she slept on 29 June last year.

Jurors were told he was "desperately jealous" that his ex was moving on and had spent more than an hour before the attack reading her emails.

Royal Mail worker Ms Fauvrelle, 26, had told Mr McKenzie's mother that their relationship was "toxic" but that she would not deny him access to their baby, the court heard.

She was 33 weeks pregnant when she was killed.

Image copyright Met Police
Image caption Kelly Fauvrelle's baby was was delivered by paramedics

The court heard the couple's relationship ended in early 2019, and in February that year Mr McKenzie sent his ex a message saying he felt "not needed, not wanted, unimportant and lost".

Ms Fauvrelle told him he needed professional help, adding: "I will no longer speak or see you unless is about the baby", Duncan Penny QC said.

The prosecutor told jurors: "The Crown's case is that this was a vicious and deliberate killing - perhaps in due course you will conclude the cowardly response of a man desperately jealous about the fact that the mother of his child yet to be born had moved on and now wanted very little to do with him."

He said Ms Fauvrelle's attacker broke into her family home in Thornton Heath, south London, through patio doors at about 03:15.

"That intruder proceeded to launch a vicious and a cowardly attack upon her, inflicting a total of 21 stab wounds with a knife," he said.

Afterwards, McKenzie went to the hospital where medical staff were trying to save the life of his child, "posing as a victim", Mr Penny said.