Leeds man given life sentence for 'savage' murder of Leeds mum Beeston after wrapping cord around her neck
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George Chalmers, 54, pleaded guilty to murdering Ruth Baker at Leeds Crown Court today (Wednesday), having previously denied the charge.
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Hide AdChalmers attacked Ms Baker before strangling her by wrapping an electrical cable around her throat in a drunken rage at his flat on Tempest Road in Beeston in the early hours of March 30 this year, the court was told.
Ms Baker, who was 48 and worked as a homeless accommodation assistant, had travelled to Leeds from her home in Carlisle to visit Chalmers, who she had been in a relationship with for around six months.
The court heard that Chalmers had previously attacked and strangled Ms Baker during a trip that the couple had in Carlisle last November. He pleaded guilty to a charge of ABH over the incident.
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Hide AdDevastating victim impact statements were read out to the court from Ms Baker’s three children during the hearing, who said that she was a “caring and fun person” who “just wanted everybody to be happy”.
For the prosecution, Michael Smith said that Ms Baker had travelled to Leeds to stay with Chalmers and arrived at around 10.30am on March 29. He said that Ms Baker was only a “slight woman”, who was 5ft 3in, while Chalmers was over 6ft tall.
The two had drank a considerable amount of alcohol in the subsequent hours before Chalmers called the police at 1.15am the next morning and “admitted that he had just committed a murder”, the court heard.
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Hide AdMr Smith said that Chalmers “asked police to come and get him” and went on to repeat that he “had killed Ruth Baker”. Police arrived at the address and arrested Chalmers before finding Ms Baker inside the flat on the floor with injuries to her face and an electrical chord wrapped around her neck. She was pronounced dead at 2.15am after receiving emergency medical attention, the hearing was told.
Two people who heard shouting from the flat said they heard a female voice calling for help and “crying ‘I’m sorry’”.
Chalmers was subsequently interviewed at Elland Road Police Station and told officers again that he had committed murder but “had no recollection of the incident” due to the amount of alcohol he had drank. He added that the two had been arguing but that he “didn’t want to paint her in a bad way”. He also admitted that there had been previous violence between the two.
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Hide AdMr Smith went on to tell the court about the previous incident in Carlisle in November last year. Cleaners had discovered significant damage to the property after the two left and text messages between the couple showed that there had been a “sustained attack” by Chalmers.
In the texts, Ms Baker said that she “won’t move for two weeks” as a result of her injuries and told Chalmers that he had punched, kicked and strangled her during the drunken rage. She told him: “Next time you could kill someone. I will be honest I’ve never seen someone so filled with anger and hate.”
Chalmers apologised and called himself a “piece of s***”, adding: “That is the alcohol again.”
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Hide AdMs Baker forgave him though, which the judge said was indicative of her “kind and caring” nature.
Mr Smith said that Chalmers’ apologies and acknowledgments that alcohol had been a factor in his behaviour were aggravating features in the incident, as it showed he “recognised he had this in him” and “knew it was a problem”.
He also has previous convictions that involve attacking and strangling women.
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Hide AdChalmers originally pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder and ABH when he appeared in court in May, before a last-minute plea change today.
Victim personal statements from Ms Baker’s three children were read out, during which the youngest daughter said: “I feel a crippling disconnect to the people around me. I feel like I have lost my childhood.”
Ms Baker’s son said: “We have been robbed of our precious mother. Our lives will never be the same again.
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Hide Ad“I can’t help feel she has been given a death sentence and as a family have been given a life sentence.”
Representing Chalmers, Gill Batts offered little in the way of mitigation but asked the judge to take into account his guilty plea.
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Hide AdSentencing Chalmers, The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, said that the impact on Ms Baker’s family was “immeasurable”, especially for her youngest daughter, who was “dependent on her mother and expected to be so for some years”.
He said: “I make it clear that I do not find that the offence was either planned or premeditated. It seems to me to be far more likely that you became intoxicated, argued and then used sustained and prolonged violence whilst intoxicated in what can only be described as a savage and brutal attack.”
He sentenced Chalmers to life imprisonment, of which he will serve a minimum of 17 years and six months, minus the time already spent in custody, before being considered for release.
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Hide AdIn a statement following the sentencing, Ms Baker’s family issued a statement, which said: “We would like to thank West Yorkshire Police and the prosecution team for all their hard work and the liaison officers for all the support we have been given over the past seven months. We are so grateful too for the love and support we have received from our family and close friends.
“We would like to take this opportunity to urge all those people who find themselves stuck in an unsafe relationship to find the strength to seek out support and find bravery to get out before they too are taken from us unnecessarily.”