Understand
Two women jailed for life for murdering vulnerable friend in Braintree
Overview
Amy Keely and Charlotte James have been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of at least 19 years for the murder of their 52-year-old friend, Helen Bloomfield, in Braintree, Essex. The victim was repeatedly stabbed and smothered at her flat in March 2024 before the killers ate breakfast cereal and left her body undiscovered for a month.
Key points
- Amy Keely, 40, and Charlotte James, 29, were convicted of murdering 52-year-old Helen Bloomfield.
- The attack took place on 20 March 2024 at Bloomfield's flat in Braintree, Essex, where she suffered 44 injuries.
- Keely repeatedly stabbed the victim while James smothered her with a pillow, after which the pair ate Cheerios.
- Bloomfield's body was found a month later on a blood-stained mattress by a concerned friend.
- Both defendants have been jailed for life and must serve a minimum of at least 19 years before being considered for release.