Nicole Hurley died in October 2021

A MOTHER-OF-FOUR was murdered by her partner while her children were in the house nearby, the Old Bailey has been told.

Nicole Hurley, 37, died from what has been described as a “frenzied” stabbing at her home in October 2021. Her death left a community in mourning, as neighbours joined in a candlelit vigil at the top of Primrose Hill.

It also led to discussions about what was being done to stop violence against women and girls, and what needs to change.

Charities warned that cases has tripled since the end of the coronavirus lockdown – a time when some victims felt stuck with their abusers – and the number of high-risk cases has steadily increased too.

Jason Bell, 42, a martial arts enthusiast, will be sentenced in October after being found guilty at the central criminal court on Tuesday of murder, false imprisonment and dangerous driving.

The trial heard that Ms Hurley had been in a volatile relationship with Mr Bell since their teens and that previous incidents in which she was punched and kicked had gone hidden from view.

Police said more than one knife was used on the night he killed her. She had wounds on her arms which suggested she had tried to defend herself. She asked for an ambulance to be called but Mr Bell left the house in Broxwood Way with all of the mobile phones in the house.

Jason Bell will be sentenced in October

Neighbours had tried to administer first aid but Ms Hurley died at the scene.

Wearing a blood-stained dressing gown, he then went to the Kilburn home of Jeremy Drewitt, a long-standing friend who he had started to suspect of having an affair with his partner.

He demanded to know if Mr Drewitt had slept with Ms Hurley and produced a foot-long knife. Mr Drewitt was not allowed to leave his flat and Mr Bell slept by the door to prevent him from escaping.

The next day Mr Drewitt was forced into his van which Mr Bell drove through a police cordon. He only escaped by jumping out of the moving vehicle. Mr Bell later went to a mental health facility near St Pancras, but was arrested by armed police who fired a Taser.

He has not cooperated with experts trying to do mental health assessments, the court was told.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood said: “Nicole had been attempting to remove herself from the relationship with Bell. “The relationship had been isolating and controlled by Bell who was demonstrating paranoia around unfounded concerns about her commitment to him.

He added: “Bell’s defence rested heavily on him having lost control ‘due to Nicole’s behaviour’. It is abhorrent that he has attempted to place the blame for his own horrific actions on Nicole and it is wholly right that he was convicted of her murder.”

DCI Eastwood said: “Nicole’s death has had a tremendous impact on her children and wider family. Her local community continue to question why they lost a good friend in such a violent manner.

“My thoughts are very much with them all as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

“Nothing will bring Nicole back, but I hope that today’s conviction brings the family a sense that justice has been served.”

The vigil on Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill was lit up with candles for an evening shortly after her death, as hundreds of people brought flowers and cards. Her uncle Pat stood before the crowd beside her father Tom, and spoke on behalf of her family.

“Nicole was an amazing mum with a gift to handle any situation. She was blessed with a wonderful sense of humour and a great singing voice,” he said that night. “She will be sadly missed by her family and all who knew her. But her legacy will live on.”

Ms Hurley’s young daughter said through a megaphone: “My mum was the best person you could ever meet. She was funny, smart and beautiful. “I wrote her name in the sand and the waves washed it away, I wrote her name in the sky and the wind blew it away. “I wrote her name in my heart, and that’s where it will stay.”

Mr Bell will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on October 12.