A violent boyfriend stabbed a 49-year old mother through the eye just weeks after his release from prison.
Michaela Hall, a former air stewardess, met Lee Kendall while working for a charity that helps inmates when they’re released from prison.
Truro Crown Court heard that she had broken professional boundaries and started an intima sexual relationship with him as his support worker. He then moved into her Mount Hawke home, Cornwall.
Miss Jo Martin QC, prosecutor for Michaela told the court she was subject to many violent assaults from Kendall.
The jury was told that Kendall, 42 years old and a former student of hers, refused to cooperate with any prosecution against Kendall. Kendall would also deny ever attacking Kendall when she was arrested or interviewed by police.
Miss Martin said to the jury that he killed Miss Martin by stabbing her in the eye with the knife.
Pictured: Michaela Hal, 49 years old, was shot through the eye and killed by Lee Kendall. This happened just weeks after Kendall was released from prison. Today, Truro Crown Court heard.
He killed Michaela Hall, and there is no doubt about that. He accepted the fact that he had, but that it was not always so.
He was interrogated by police and told lies about the fatal May 31 night. She claimed that he did not have anything to do with her death.
Miss Martin claimed that Kendall later said there was a drunken fight and that Michaela was the one who attacked.
He stated that he attempted to remove the knife from her, and that she died as a result of an accident.
Prosecutor stated that it was up for the jury’s decision to determine if Michaela, a mother-of-2, died from a tragic injury or if Kendall intentionally and deliberately stabbed her through one eye.
Miss Martin stated that Michaela quit her job as an airline stewardess to move to Cornwall with her family.
Her previous work experience was with two charitable organizations that helped prisoners after they were freed from prison.
However, she stated that Michaela was not the best person for the job. She was too involved, and became too close.
Lee Kendall, a former prisoner has been charged at Truro Crown Court with murder.
“She wanted to do her best, but could not see the value of having professional boundaries.”
The jury was told that she had met Kendall (a man with a problem with drugs) when he was released from prison March 2019. She was then assigned to be his support worker.
She lost her job after it became clear that she was in an intimate relationship with Kendall, who moved into her house.
Miss Martin stated that they had a complex relationship. Michaela was there to rescue him.
However, she stated that violence had already begun “not long after.”
She was attacked with various types of attacks, and her eyes were blackened. 999 calls to the police were also made as violence escalated.
Kendall admitted to some assaults and was issued a three-year community order in May 2021 by a judge.
He stabbed her in the head with a knife that penetrated her brain nine times through her right eye, just 17 days after she had died.
Also, a post-mortem revealed that she also had neck and facial injuries consistent with manual strangulation. Kendall’s DNA was also found on Kendall’s neck.
According to the court, Michaela was talking with a Gran Canaria friend when she could be heard screaming ‘like one from a movie’. She shouted, ‘don’t come near me Lee. Stop Lee. Get off me.’ Before hearing a dull sound.
The friend alerted the UK police. Police went to the address three times within 24 hours. However, they did not find any signs of trouble and did not allow entry.
Peter, her father discovered the body of his daughter in a bedroom after her parents raised concerns.
Kendall denied the murder of his wife and is still being tried.