Stacey Hyde’s life was a tragic tale of incarceration, overturned convictions, and a ongoing struggle with mental illness. Convicted of the fatal stabbing of Vincent Francis, her friend’s abusive boyfriend, Stacey spent five tumultuous years behind bars before her conviction was quashed in 2015.
Stacey, who tragically passed away due to bulimia nervosa, had always maintained that she had acted in self-defense and feared for her life at the time of the incident. The new medical evidence presented during the appeal proved that Stacey had a mental disorder when the stabbing occurred in 2009, leading to her unsafe conviction.
After her murder conviction was overturned, a retrial was held at Winchester Crown Court, ultimately resulting in her acquittal. Stacey, also known as Anastasia Darlison, spent years in prison, struggling with mental health issues and attempting suicide.
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During the tragic incident, Stacey had come to the aid of her friend, Holly Banwell, when Vincent Francis attacked them. Stacey, in a desperate attempt to protect her friend, ended up stabbing Mr. Francis multiple times. Subsequent evidence revealed Mr. Francis’s history of violence towards women, with 27 separate incidents of domestic violence being acknowledged.
Stacey’s tumultuous life featured a difficult upbringing marked by neglect, abuse, childhood drinking, self-harm, and mental illness. Her struggles continued during her years in prison, where she was deemed at high risk of suicide and self-harm. Her lowest point came when she faced the prospect of a retrial after her initial murder conviction was quashed, leaving her feeling hopeless and lost.
Stacey’s tumultuous journey through the legal system sparked questions regarding the public interest in subjecting her to a retrial. Despite her fragile mental state, she endured a three-week trial before being finally acquitted. The inquest into her death revealed her diagnosis of PTSD in prison, along with a history of bulimia nervosa, hepatitis C, kidney failure, and excessive alcohol consumption.
Stacey never got the chance to rebuild her life before her tragic end, passing away in Mullion near Helston, after her tumultuous journey of incarceration and legal battles.