Ash Woman ‘Killed Love Rival In Attack Driven by Jealousy’ – Court Claim

Published on: 4 Nov, 2023
Updated on: 6 Nov, 2023

The trial for the murder of Joy Boulton, pictured, is being heard at Guildford Crown Court

The trial of a 61-year-old woman accused of murdering her love rival in Ash opened in Guildford this week.

Sara McKenzie, of Fairview Road, Ash, is accused of hitting 59-year-old Joy Boulton on the back of the head 20 times with a “heavy implement”.

The jury was told that the attack was driven by “jealousy and hate”.

Guildford Crown Court heard that Ms McKenzie, who has pleaded not guilty, allegedly murdered the 59-year-old after learning that her partner of 13 years, Trevor Dibnah, had left her for Ms Boulton.

Jurors were told Ms McKenzie confronted Ms Boulton at her home in Church View shouting: “That’s my husband, that’s my man.”

Ms Boulton was later found dead inside her home by Mr Dibnah when he returned home from work on the evening of May 11 this year.

Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, said: “The ferocity of the attack is demonstrated by the extent and nature of the injuries to her head.

“They can only be explained by rage and fury.”

The court heard that Ms Boulton managed to claw at her assailant’s face during the assault “ensuring that she had her attacker’s DNA underneath her fingernails”.

It was claimed that Ms McKenzie and Mr Dibnah had been in a “turbulent” relationship for 13 years when he broke things off and moved in with Ms Boulton, who he had been having an affair with for two years.

Mr Corsellis said: “The defendant did not take kindly to this and went to Joy Boulton’s address as Trevor Dibnah was moving in and confronted her.

“A week later, Ms Boulton received an abusive telephone call from a female caller whom she thought to be the defendant.”

The jury also heard that on December 3, 2022, six weeks after moving in together, Mr Dibnah and Ms Boulton became engaged and posted the news on Facebook.

The next morning, Mr Dibnah learned that his shed, full of his belongings, had burned down.

Three weeks before the alleged murder, Ms McKenzie is said to have asked Mr Dibnah: “What does she have that I don’t?”

She also said: “When are you going to leave Joy and come back to me?”

The trial continues.