'Dangerous' Batley man killed student ex-girlfriend Bethany Fields after receiving psychiatric support

Paul Crowther, 36, from Batley, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of talented University of York student Bethany Fields, from Bramley in Leeds, after being diagnosed with schizophrenia while being held in custody following her death.

The 21-year-old environmental geography student was attacked with a knife on a street in Huddersfield last September.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC described Crowther as a 'very dangerous man indeed' as he ordered him to be detained in a secure hospital as part of his minimum sentence of 12 years.

Judge Bayliss told Leeds Crown Court that Miss Fields described the ex-boyfriend as 'manipulative, abusive and controlling'.

He said: “She told police that the abuse, which was initially low-key, began to intensify.”

The court heard that Crowther had suffered from mental health issues for a number of years and had been detained in hospital several times after threatening suicide, having thoughts about killing others and hearing voices.

Judge Bayliss said: “Bethany Fields did what she could to help him with his mental health issues but it all became too much for her to cope with and she ended their relationship.”

The court heard that, following the split, Crowther saw the psychiatric liaison team at Dewsbury District Hospital on three occasions, where he said he wanted to attack others and kill himself, but was not detained.

He sent a 'constant' barrage of abuse and threats to Miss Fields and others, and she reported Crowther’s behaviour to the police.

Judge Bayliss said she told police: “He has an obsession with killing someone and what it would feel like. I genuinely don’t know what to do. I am scared and frightened of what he will do and it’s made me fearful for others.

“’All I want,’ said Bethany Fields on August 19 last year, ‘is for him to leave me alone’.”

The court heard that Miss Fields worked for an organisation that provided music therapy for people with disabilities and learning difficulties and was hosting an event at a pub in Huddersfield on September 12, 2019.

Judge Bayliss said: “It was there that you, Paul Crowther, ambushed her, attacked her with a knife and then repeatedly stabbed her as she lay prone on the floor, ending her young life.”

He said Crowther had bought two knives, including a six-inch kitchen knife, eight days earlier and had made allegations about Miss Fields to police before driving to Huddersfield and attacking his former partner as she unloaded equipment.

The judge said the attack was captured on CCTV.

He said: “It shows a targeted and sustained attack. She was stabbed multiple times and after the attack the defendant ran back to his car and drove off.”

Miss Fields was pronounced dead despite attempts by her friends and passers-by to save her life.

Crowther tried to get away from police on the motorway before leaving his car on a bridge and climbing over railings while holding a knife to his throat.

He was later taken to hospital and then to the police station, where he held conversations with himself and referred to a voice in his head he called 'Osiris', which he claimed told him to carry out the attack.

He refused to answer questions during interview and claimed he had amnesia about killing Miss Fields.

Judge Bayliss said he accepted that Crowther’s decision to kill Miss Fields was driven by his condition, but he rejected the suggestion that he was in a 'state of altered awareness' at the time, describing his actions as 'entirely logical and rational'.

He said: “I am quite sure that you knew perfectly well what you were doing. You may have amnesia for what you have done. But you knew what you were doing.”

He added: “You are, Paul Crowther, I am sorry to say, a very dangerous man.”

A statement from her family released by police read: "The life of our beautiful and dignified daughter Bethany Rae Fields, aged only 21 years old, was tragically, brutally, and cowardly taken away from us whilst she was working for a charity which supports people with disabilities of all ages, through music and dance.

"Although Paul Crowther has now been convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, we will always believe this calculated and planned act was murder.

"Bethany was helping to set up for a music event at the Irish Centre on Fitzwilliam Street, Huddersfield, when Paul Crowther, without provocation or justification, savagely and heartlessly, murdered our brave, giving, and loving daughter.

"Paul Crowther, we believe, is a highly dangerous, evil narcissist, capable of extreme violence. His actions show him to be a first-degree coward who attacked our defenceless young daughter from behind. He then straddled her whilst she was on the ground and mercilessly and repeatedly stabbed our beloved only child Bethany. She didn’t have a chance.

"She was the warmest and kindest of souls, loyal, courteous, and devoid of hate or malice. Bethany was our world, our pride and joy. She was a daughter to be truly proud of.

"A young woman who was respected, non-judgemental, of merit and credence.

"She was fun-loving, inspirational, full of zest and vitality with an ambition to do good for people, animals, nature and the environment,

"Bethany was highly intellectual, studying at the University of York. Her chosen subject was environmental geography and her aspirations were to travel to Iceland to study glaciology and volcanism particularly proglacial lakes.

"Bethany’s studies and aspirations showed her love of life, nature and our planet. Such integrity of heart and mind to do good and try to help all through combating climate change.

"Our lives are forever broken. Bethany was our world. We lived and breathed for Bethany.

"We, her devoted parents, Pauline and Jim, Richard (mother’s partner), family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew and loved her cannot now be repaired, as the piece missing will forever be missing.

"The immense heartbreak caused by Paul Crowther’s actions is intense and will last a lifetime.

"Bethany offered him love, friendship, emotional and financial support during their time together. Even after they separated Bethany still offered friendship and emotional support to Paul Crowther’s family in times of need.

"Paul Crowther repaid her friendship, loyalty, care, and kindness with hateful and violent savagery.

"We firmly believe Paul Crowther will always be a danger to the public. He is a pathological liar who lacks any form of empathy. We are in absolutely no doubt he should never be released. To do so would be a travesty of justice. There can be no cure for evil.

"It is heart-rending and excruciatingly painful to live every day with the knowledge that our kind-hearted, selfless, talented, intelligent young woman will never now reach her full potential.

"But far worse, is knowing that Bethany will never know the joy of motherhood, a loving partner, and all that entails.

"Our gratitude and thanks to all who assisted our precious only child."