Stacey Hyde, 26, pictured, was found guilty over the stabbing of her friend’s boyfriend Vincent Francis in 2010. But her conviction was overturned five years later
A woman who was cleared of murder after spending five years in jail has gone missing sparking a major police search.
Stacey Hyde, 26, was found guilty over the stabbing of her friend’s boyfriend Vincent Francis in 2010 and was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment.
But her conviction was dramatically quashed five years later after new evidence showed she was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the killing.
The jury at her retrial heard she had acted in self defence when she stabbed the 34-year-old to death with a 10-inch carving knife.
Miss Hyde, who was just 17 at the time of the killing, was last seen in Taunton, Somerset, at 4:30pm yesterday and police say she could be in an agitated state.
An Avon and Somerset constabulary spokesman said: ‘Stacey was last seen in the Priorswood area of Taunton at approximately 4:30pm today.
‘We’re concerned for her welfare and want to find her to make sure she is safe.
‘We believe she may be in the company of a man in his late 20’s who is described as being of slim build with short, possibly bleached hair and facial hair.
‘Stacey, who also sometimes goes by the name Anastasia Darlison, may be in an agitated state and we’d advise anyone who sees her not to approach her but to call us immediately.’
Miss Hyde was originally convicted at Bristol Crown Court in 2010 of killing Mr Fancis at the flat he shared with her friend Holly Banwell.
She had denied murder and said she was in fear for her life but the original jury disagreed and she was jailed by Mr Justice Field.
But the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial amid a campaign by her family and the charity Justice for Women after hearing Miss Hyde was extremely vulnerable at the time of the killing.
Miss Hyde’s conviction was dramatically quashed five years later after new evidence showed she was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the killing. She is pictured outside her retrial in 2015 at Winchester Crown Court
A jury at Winchester Crown Court acquitted Miss Hyde, reversing Bristol Crown Court’s 2010 decision.
The original trial had heard that Miss Hyde, a waitress, armed herself with a 10-inch knife and stabbed Mr Francis several times.
The Bristol court was told that after stabbing Mr Francis, Miss Hyde told Ms Banwell: ‘I did it for you because I don’t like the way he treats you.’
Mr Justice Fields said that in sentencing Miss Hyde he had taken into consideration that the violence had been initiated by Mr Francis.
The trial heard that Miss Hyde, who had been drinking heavily, had gone back to Ms Banwell’s flat in Wells on September 4, 2009, after a night out.
Ms Banwell called 999 after Mr Francis attacked her and then Miss Hyde.
Stacey Hyde is pictured with her mother Diane, who said after the retrial: ‘It’s the happiest day of my life. We’re ecstatic, very happy, can’t believe this has happened’
The court heard Miss Hyde and Mr Francis exchanged blows before she picked up a carving knife and stabbed him in the back and chest.
The jury was played the 999 call made by Ms Banwell in which she asked for help to stop Mr Francis from attacking Miss Hyde.
She says in the call: ‘My boyfriend is smashing, beating up my friend, she’s a girl and I need the police, I need the police ASAP.’
She continued: ‘There was a huge row and he hits me, and he started on, basically he hit me and he hit me so she hit him and now he has started on her and now they are hitting each other. I need the police.’
Ms Banwell then went on to say: ‘Don’t f****** punch me, I’m on the phone to the police, don’t punch me, do you know what I mean, I’ve just got a smack in. No Stacey, put that down.’
With screaming heard in the background, she continues: ‘She has got a knife, she’s got a knife, she’s got a knife. She’s stabbed him. Oh my God she has stabbed him.’
The retrial heard from several expert witnesses about the state of Miss Hyde’s mental health, with the defence and prosecution disagreeing over the extent she may have suffered from a personality disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – which can lead to a failure of impulse control.
The Winchester court was also told that Miss Hyde had difficulty coping with stressful situations and in 2009 had been sent for urgent assessment for problematic use of alcohol, depression, self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
In a statement released after she was cleared, Miss Hyde said: ‘I would like to say thank you to Justice for Women, my legal team, friends and family for believing in me and giving me hope and strength to never give up.
‘I will be forever grateful and blessed to have been given my life back.’
Her mother Diane Hyde said in 2015: ‘It’s the happiest day of my life. We’re ecstatic, very happy, can’t believe this has happened.’