Woman Guilty Of Murdering Sister

14 December 2010, 12:13 | Updated: 15 December 2010, 14:12

Phoebe Barton stabbed sister to death in a 'frenzied attack'

A woman was jailed for life with a minimum of 13 years today for murdering her sister who had told her she should get over the death of her daughter.

Phoebe Barton, 50, flew into a rage and stabbed sister Karen to death in a ``repeated and sustained attack'' following the argument about her daughter, Rachel, 33, who had died in a car crash a year earlier.

Miss Barton's body was found by dog walkers in a field off Rentain Road, Chartham, near Canterbury, Kent, shortly after midnight on May 9.

The 51 year old was stabbed 27 times, mainly in her back.

Barton had admitted a charge of manslaughter but denied she meant to kill her sister.

Jurors found her guilty of murder yesterday after a two-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Sentencing her at the court today, Judge Jeremy Carey said: ``I have no doubt that at the time you stabbed Karen Barton, you intended in those few seconds to kill her.

Describing the attack as ``ferocious'', he added: ``Some of the 27 stab wounds went right into her bone and through her body.

``You threw the knife away and left her to die, a death which mercifully came very quickly due to the severity of the wounds.

``Karen Barton had done absolutely nothing to provoke this attack by you. In fact she had been a devoted sister to you but you never appreciated it.''

Karen Barton