Murdered woman's family set for charity climb

The family of a woman who was murdered by her boyfriend are going to climb Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, to raise money for charities fighting to protect women from violence.

Megan Newborough, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was killed in 2021 and her body was dumped in the Leicestershire countryside.

Her parents, Elaine and Anthony Newborough, set up the Megan Newborough Foundation to support groups campaigning against violence against women as well as for a charity close to their daughter's heart, the Dogs Trust.

"We lost Megan through very brutal circumstances. At that time there were people that wanted to help and [we] didn't know what to do, so we founded the foundation," her mother said.

"It means we can help those that are already fighting, for killed women, for families who were in similar situations, and because Megan left behind her pet dog Frank, the Dogs Trust too."

In June, to mark five years since Megan's passing, her father, along with 40 others, will attempt to climb Yr Wyddfa.

He has never climbed a mountain before and said he was doing some training to make sure he was ready for the challenge.

"I've got a bit training going on at the moment but nothing like the actual climb itself so I don't know what to expect at the moment," Anthony Newborough said.

The money raised from the challenge will support Killed Women, Refuge and the Dogs Trust.

The couple said they have already begun working with Killed Women to try to get a change in the law.

Megan died in her killer's home in Coalville, Leicestershire and, because it was in a home, the sentence he received was less than it might have been if she was killed elsewhere, they said.

Ross McCullam, was convicted of her murder and jailed in 2022 for at least 23 years.

Elaine Newborough said: "We've been fighting, as part of the Killed Women organisation, to canvas for changes in the sentencing law for sentencing guidelines.

"For those that are killed in the home, the starting point is 15 years, whereas if somebody is murdered outside the home, the starting point is 25 years.

"There's that 10-year disparity, so we've been working really hard with Killed Women to bring about that change."

In 2024, the government announced a review to examine if current sentencing guidelines "adequately reflects the seriousness of murders committed in the home".

The Law Commission was tasked with carrying out the review and is expected to deliver its final report in 2028.

The 55-year-old mother also believed, had she's got the chance, Megan would have been climbing Snowdon with them, supporting Anthony along the way.

Speaking to her husband she said: "I think she'd be climbing with you.

"She'd be propping you up all the way.

"She'd be the one that's going around checking everybody's OK, making sure everybody is feeling good, and if not, giving them that encouragement and motivation to get them to the top of the mountain.

"I think she'd be very proud of them."

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