Emma Humphreys | |
|---|---|
 Left to right: Harriet Wistrich (with flowers) and Julie Bindel of Justice for Women, with Emma Humphreys (white dress) outside the Old Bailey, London, after Humphreys' release, 7 July 1995.[1] | |
| Born | Emma Clare Humphreys 30 October 1967 |
| Died | 11 July 1998 (aged 30) |
| Cause of death | Death by misadventure, overdose of chloral hydrate |
| Nationality | British |
| Criminal charge(s) | Murder of her boyfriend and pimp, Trevor Armitage |
| Criminal penalty | Convicted on 4 December 1985 and sentenced to life |
| Criminal status | Reduced to manslaughter on 7 July 1995, freed for time served |
Emma Clare Humphreys (30 October 1967 – 11 July 1998) was a Welsh woman who was imprisoned in England in December 1985 at Her Majesty's pleasure, after being convicted of the murder of her violent 33-year-old boyfriend and pimp, Trevor Armitage.[2][3][4]
Aged 17 when convicted, Humphreys spent a decade in prison before winning an appeal against the conviction, on 7 July 1995, on the grounds of long-term provocation. The Court of Appeal reduced the conviction to manslaughter, and she was released immediately.[5] The success of the appeal was significant because it supported the argument that courts should take long-term issues such as "battered woman syndrome" into account when considering a defence of provocation.[2][3][6][a] Humphreys was assisted in her defence by Justice for Women, a feminist law-reform group founded in 1991 by Julie Bindel and Harriet Wistrich.[8][9][10]
Three years after her release, Humphreys died, aged 30, of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at her flat in Holloway, North London.[11]
- ^ Parmar, Pratibha (director) (12 November 2009). Emma Humphreys: The Legacy (video). London: Kali Films, courtesy of YouTube.
- ^ a b Mills, Heather (7 July 1995). "Woman who stabbed violent partner freed", The Independent.
- ^ a b Ying Hui Tan (11 July 1995). "Abnormal traits relevant to provocation", The Independent.
- ^ "Self-portrait of a teenage killer", The Guardian, 10 November 2003.
- ^ R v Humphreys. [1995] 4 All ER 1008; Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) (Lord Justice Hirst, Mr Justice Cazalet and Mr Justice Kay) 7 July 1995.
- ^ Bottomley, Anne (1996). Feminist Perspectives on The Foundational Subjects of Law. London: Cavendish Publishing. pp. 201–204.
- ^ "R v Humphreys 1995 4 All ER 1008 Court of Appeal", www.e-lawresources.co.uk.
- ^ Bindel, Julie (23 July 2008). "This one's for Emma". The Guardian.
- ^ Gupta, Rahila (12 January 2015). "Women defenders of human rights: the good, the great and the gutsy" Archived 7 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. OpenDemocracy
- ^ Dickson, E. Jane (15 September 1995). "Sisters to the death". The Independent.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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