Woman 'was stabbed and smothered' by her friends

A woman was stabbed and fatally smothered with a pillow by her two friends who "ransacked" her house, a jury has been told.

Prosecutors allege that Helen Bloomfield, 52, was murdered by Amy Keely, 40, and Charlotte James, 29, at her flat in Braintree, Essex, in March 2024.

Blood-stained scissors and shards of broken mirror were found inside the property when Bloomfield's body was discovered a month later, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

James, of St Michael's Lane, Braintree, and Keely, of no fixed address, have denied her murder.

Julian Evans KC, prosecuting, said Bloomfield was a vulnerable woman who suffered 44 injuries, including stab and cut wounds.

"Her death inside her flat was the result of what must have been sustained and repeated violence that others directed at her," he said, opening the trial.

No motive had been established for the alleged attack, which happened "at some point" after 01:00 GMT on 20 March 2024, Evans told the court.

Bloomfield's body was discovered inside her one-bedroom flat in Godric Place, Aetheric Road, almost a month later - on 19 April.

"The mattress she was lying on was heavily blood-stained, as were a number of pillows and pillowcases that were found near her body," Evans continued.

"Her flat looked, effectively, as though it had been ransacked."

The court heard blood was found in the flat's bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen, as was DNA belonging to Keely and James.

Bloodied scissors and five fragments of a broken mirror were also discovered.

Evans said Keely and James were named as suspects in her murder after confessing their involvement to six other people.

They confided that Keely stabbed Bloomfield before James sat on her chest, using a pillow to smother her, the prosecutor explained.

Evans said Bloomfield had a history of drug use and self-harm, but told the jury she did not take her own life.

Keely and James did not deny having visited the house previously, he said, but they rejected being present when any violence took place.

The trial continues.

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