Man convicted of the murder of his partner 

 A man has been convicted of the murder of his partner who was found dead with horrific injuries in a ditch by a dogwalker.

Alan Edney, 32, of Kenilworth Road, Birmingham was convicted today (29 June 2023) of the murder of 35-year-old Kerry Owen at Worcester Crown Court.

The court heard that Edney subjected Kerry Owen to a violent and sustained blunt force assault on 26 May 2022 which fractured her nasal bone, knocked out one of her front teeth, and damaged a bone in her neck.

She suffered a catalogue of horrific and sustained injuries after she was beaten and strangled during the attack.

He disposed of her body in a ditch after he killed her and tried to hide the body with grass and foliage in an attempt to cover up his crime, but a dog walker discovered Kerry Owen’s body in Wast Hills Lane in Hopwood the following day.

Edney then lied to cover up his horrific and violent actions to avoid prosecution and punishment for his heinous crime.

He told Kerry Owen’s family lies about how she had been killed, including a lie that she had died following a road traffic collision.

However, the jury saw through his lies, and he was convicted of murder today and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.

Emily Clewer of the CPS said: “Alan Edney cruelly assaulted an innocent woman who loved him and didn’t deserve to die in such an awful way. He subjected Kerry Owen to unimaginable violence leaving her with devastating injuries that led to her death.

"He then spun a web of lies to evade prosecution and pretended to be a devastated partner when in fact he had inflicted the terrible injuries on Ms Owen. Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and today’s verdict has ensured that he will face the consequences of his actions.

"Our thoughts are with the family of Kerry Owen, whose lives have been devastated by the actions of Alan Edney.”