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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Charlotte Hadfield

Children heard screaming before 'one in a million' mum was murdered

The screams of a "kind" and "caring" mum-of-four were heard by her children before she was murdered.

Jade Ward, 27, died at the hands of her estranged husband Russell Marsh who stabbed, slashed and strangled her just yards away from their sleeping children. Jade's body was found under a pile of clothes in a room sealed shut with a dressing gown cord at her mum Karen Robinson's home in Shotton, Flintshire, on Thursday, August 26 last year.

Marsh, who worked in Ellesmere Port, was sentenced to life in prison in April and will serve at least 25 years behind bars. Despite being locked up for killing their mum, Marsh still holds his parental responsibility over the four boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

READ MORE: Faces of 75 people jailed in Liverpool in April

This means he still has control over various aspects of their welfare including their future medical needs and if the family wanted to take any of the children on holiday somewhere outside the UK, Marsh would have to give permission. This would be done by way of another hearing through the family court.

Jade's mum Karen, 51, and her family are now campaigning to make Jade's Law a reality. The new law, if approved, would see the automatic suspension of parental responsibility of any parent found guilty of murdering the other parent.

Karen told the ECHO: "As you can imagine this has been horrific without having to still have him looming over our heads, always in the background. It's not just our family, but unfortunately this will happen to many other families and Jade's Law can help lessen their stress and heartache.

"We know now that the unthinkable can and does happen because honestly you would never have thought that, and to know that my daughter was up there and he's buried her under clothes like she was a dirty washing basket, and then he locked the bedroom door, my bedroom door, with a dressing gown cord and then he sat there for how many hours doing what?

"The pain, we physically hurt. I physically hurt. I don't feel I've got a beating heart since Jade went. As soon as I was told that my heart stopped beating. I'm hollow."

Jade was described as "one in a million" by her heartbroken mum (Family handout)

On the night Jade was killed, Karen said two of Jade's children recalled Marsh coming into their bedroom and whispering about having witnessed their mum "kissing another man." Later that night, the boys recalled hearing the sounds of loud bangs and screaming.

Karen described Marsh as "scum" and said he has "told a pack of lies" about her family to the authorities since his sentencing. She said: "He wants the boys to be taken away from the family and placed in care. There is no reason why the boys can't stay with family, all of us obviously have had to be vetted.

Russell Norman James Marsh was jailed at Mold Crown Court for at least 25 years after murdering estranged wife Jade Ward. (North Wales Police)

"All he's ever done with these kids is use them as pawns in his games. I will not allow Jade's death to be in vein. I will not stop until this Jade's Law is passed.

"Everyday I see a part of Jade in those boys it's bizarre. They idolised her and she idolised them and he thinks it's perfectly fine to try and get them taken off the family and put into care."

Karen said Jade's children "know that mummy is in heaven and they know that she's always around them and she's giving them hugs and kisses. And when they go up to the cemetery, they just sit by her grave and they blow her kisses and they tell her that they love her. They're so strong."

Jade is pictured here with her mum Karen Robinson, 51, brother Ky, 32, and sisters Becky, 30, and Philippa, 20. (Family handout)

Paying tribute to Jade, Karen described her as "one in a million." She said: "She was kind, caring, loving, supportive, honestly she was everything. She was amazing, everyone who met Jade loved her from the first second.

"She had this aura around her, this aura of warmth. She was one in a million. There will never be another Jade. I know this might sound a bit drastic but the world really has lost out."

So far, the petition for Jade's Law has been signed by more than 56,000 people from across the UK. There is a target of gaining at least 100,000 signatures for the petition to be considered for debate in parliament.

To support the petition, go to https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/614893

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