‘senseless act’ | 

Mugshot released of Dublin woman who murdered husband and tried to blame daughter

Lisa Ellwood, née Dunne (40) from Dublin has been jailed for life

Today at 11:34

An Irish woman who stabbed her husband through the heart with a kitchen knife and then blamed her teenage daughter for the murder, has been found guilty.

Lisa Ellwood, née Dunne (40) attacked her husband Ryan Ellwood (42) at their home in the UK in August 2022 after they returned from a night out.

Ellwood, who was convicted of murder this week after a trial, was told she must serve a minimum term of 16 years.

Police have since released their first photo of Ellwood and told how the victim suffered “both physical and emotional harm because of his wife’s jealousy and accusations of infidelity”.

Passing sentence, Judge Guy Kearl KC said her “senseless act of violence cost Ryan Ellwood his life”

A jury last week heard that the couple were in a violent relationship and the Irish woman was “volatile, aggressive and controlling.”

The Dubliner moved to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, from Ireland in 2019 with her two daughters to be with Ryan.

Ellwood has claimed she has no recollection of the bloody attack on the evening of August 29 last year, which left Ryan dying on the kitchen floor. The knife pierced his rib, lung and his aorta – a vessel of the heart.

The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that prosecutor, Craig Hassell KC said the couple’s relationship, which began in 2018, had been marred by “violence and aggression from both sides”.

He said that on the day of Ryan’s death, the couple had taken a taxi to Wakefield city centre and were drinking in the Blind Pig pub. CCTV played to the jury apparently showed the couple have an argument at approximately 10pm.

Shortly after, Ellwood left the pub and sat on a bench outside. Ryan was captured jumping into a taxi while CCTV reportedly caught Ellwood staggering home on her own.

It was reported that she was seen falling to the ground.

When she arrived home she spoke with her daughter (16), who had been babysitting her younger sibling. Lisa then went into the kitchen where Ryan was and an argument began, the Court heard.

Ellwood’s daughter came into the kitchen after hearing shouting. She saw Ryan stricken on the floor with blood “spewing out”.

Ellwood rang 999 and asked for an ambulance, but when asked by the operator what had happened, she told them that she simply came home and “found him injured.”

However, in her police interview, the young girl said her mother arrived home around 15 minutes after her step-dad.

The Court heard that CCTV showed the Irish woman slipping in front of the house.

The girl said her mother went into the kitchen and then she heard “aggressive” arguing. The girl said the kitchen table skidded across the floor at one point.

Crown Prosecutor Mr Hassell said: “The defendant asked her daughter three times to pass her a knife, she refused.

“At that Ryan took a butter knife from the drawer and offered it to the defendant, mocking her.

“Her mother then got off the floor and barged past to the cutlery drawer, got out a large pink handled knife and stabbed Ryan.”The teenager described blood “spewing out” of her step-father’s chest, reportedly. The blade had penetrated his left lung, pierced his aorta and damaged his rib also

The jury heard a 999 call to the ambulance service in which the Irish woman was “agitated, abusive and swearing.”

When arrested, Ellwood claimed to have come home and found her husband stabbed, and had even suggested her daughter might have stabbed him, Mr Hassell told the jury.

Mr Hassell said: “Those were the first of many misleading, manipulative and self-serving things she has done since she murdered her husband. She now claims she has no memory of anything that happened that evening.”

The court heard she would often attack her husband and accuse him of cheating. He reported being punched previously and had a black eye recorded by police.

Mr Hassell said Ellwood was prone to “wild mood swings.”

The Dubliner denied the murder but was jailed for life on Wednesday.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Phil Hughes, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said the case placed “an important spotlight on male domestic abuse.”

“This was a drunken argument that has sadly taken an extremely violent turn and resulted in the loss of Ryan’s life.

“The jury has seen through Lisa’s attempts to mislead the investigation and she has now been sentenced for this senseless crime.

“Ryan’s death has had a devastating effect on both families, and I hope the conclusion of this court case helps them as they continue to move forward with their lives following this tragic incident.

“During the trial, the court heard from friends and associates of events where Ryan’s suffered both physical and emotional harm because of his wife’s jealousy and accusations of infidelity.”

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