London - A mother who sent her jealous ex-boyfriend an explicit photo with her new lover has admitted inciting an attack which led to murder.
Former law student Sarah Bramley, 29, sent a photograph of herself performing a sex act on Michael Lawson, 34, to her violent ex-partner David Saunders, also 34.
Saunders was allegedly ‘tipped over the edge’ by the picture, taking a taxi to Bramley’s house where he stabbed Mr Lawson through the heart in the street.
On Thursday the mother-of-two from Darlington appeared at Teesside Crown Court and admitted to the unusual charge of inciting an assault. She pleaded guilty on the basis that she did not intend for Saunders to commit murder and only anticipated that it may have led to a minor assault.
She will be sentenced next month and faces up to six months in prison. Mr Lawson’s mother Anne Satterthwaite, 61, said last night: ‘As far as I am concerned she has got away with murder because without her my son would still be here. I hate the lad who put that knife into my son but I hate her more because she caused it to happen. She’s a narcissist who liked the idea of two men fighting over her.
‘Michael had no idea what was about to happen to him when he left her house, he was like a lamb to the slaughter.’
Saunders had admitted murder and was jailed for life last year, with Judge Stephen Ashurst ruling Bramley’s messages had a ‘very important bearing’ on his actions.
Bramley was not at the murder trial, having moved to Australia after the killing in July last year, but she was arrested when she returned to the UK in April.
Discussing the ‘inciting an assault’ charge yesterday, Judge Ashurst asked prosecutor Nick Dry: ‘This is notwithstanding the fact she knew Saunders had a reputation for violence and that he carried weapons?’ But Mr Dry replied: ‘We have come to the conclusion that she did not intend to happen what in fact did happen.’
Bramley had begun an on-off relationship with career criminal Saunders in November 2016, before breaking up with him for good in April last year.
The killer blamed their separation on Bramley’s relationship with Mr Lawson and police warned him to keep away from his love rival after he vandalised his car.
A court heard last year that after sending Saunders the explicit photograph, Bramley slapped father-of-one Mr Lawson and ordered him to leave the house.
She then texted Saunders saying: ‘He is outside the house, feel free to smack the ****.’
As he sentenced career-criminal Saunders last year, Judge Ashurst said: ‘Jealousy was very much at the heart of your behaviour.’