Man sentenced after pleading guilty to murder of woman who died 13 years after attacking her

A “violent” man will serve nearly six more years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering a woman who died 13 years after he attacked her.

Trevor Baker, 53, was already in prison for the attempted murder of Carolyn Kemp and pleaded guilty to murder after she died from her injuries almost 13 years later.

Appearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, May 31, he was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years' imprisonment for the murder, less time he has already served, meaning he will serve a further five years and eight months in prison.

Ms Kemp was 34 when Baker attacked her at her address in Walmer Close in Romford on November 25, 2009.

She had left him six months earlier when their relationship deteriorated, but Baker, furious and unable to accept the end of the relationship, launched a vicious attack that left her a quadriplegic with irreparable brain damage.

He later pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 16 years in prison, with a minimum of eight years.

Ms Kemp died on September 24, 2022 from aspiration pneumonia and specialist pathologists concluded she would have survived if she had not suffered head trauma in 2009.

Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, of the Met's specialist crime command, said: “Carolyn suffered extreme violence at the hands of Trevor Baker – violence which ultimately led to her death after more than a decade of suffering .

“It is right that he be held accountable for the devastation his actions have caused, not only to Carolyn, but to her family and friends who loved her.

“I am pleased that through the guilty plea, Carolyn's loved ones will now be spared the added distress of a trial and reliving the details of what was a horrific attack. My thoughts are with them.”

Speaking on behalf of the family, Carolyn's mother said her daughter, who had two children, was a “wonderful young mother”.

She said: “There was nothing she wouldn't do for them, she loved being their mother so much. That opportunity to love and nurture them was taken away from her and her children.

She said her daughter had gone through “nearly 13 years of pain and suffering before her death” and thanked hospital staff and police for the way they handled the case.

She added: “Trevor Baker will never know how much he put my family through. His actions forever ruined the lives of two innocent children. Following his conviction today, he will serve a further five years and eight months in prison. It will never be enough.

“Despite the years that have passed, we continue to believe that Trevor Baker is a violent individual and represents an ongoing danger to women. I hope this conviction and sentence will serve to protect other women in the future. »