Man who killed mum and her son in Louth jailed for life for murder with a minimum of 40 years

Daniel Boulton was sentenced today at Lincoln Crown Court

Daniel Boulton
Author: Andy Marsh & PA NewsPublished 2nd Feb 2022

A man must serve at least 40 years of a life sentence for the double murder of a mum and her young son in Louth.

Daniel Boulton, of Alexandra Road in Skegness, walked 28 miles from the town to Louth, before stabbing 26-year-old Bethany Vincent and 9-year-old DJ last May.

The 30-year-old then led officers on a 24 hour manhunt, eventually being found by an off duty police officer in the Hubbards Hills area of Louth.

Boulton stabbed an off-duty police officer in the leg there before being tasered and arrested on a nearby farm.

He admitted the manslaughter of his former girlfriend and her son, but denied their murder.

He also entered a guilty plea to assault with intent to resist arrest and burglary.

Following a trial yesterday at Lincoln Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of both murders.

The case shocked people in the normally peaceful town of Louth.

The house where the murders took place in Louth

At Lincoln Crown Court a number of details came out during the trial.

The jury heard how the relationship between Boulton and Ms Vincent, which had begun on the Tinder dating app, had "deteriorated" by the end of March 2019 and he was eventually ordered not to contact his ex-partner.

The prosecution said "persistent" Boulton had sent Ms Vincent nearly 900 messages over the bank holiday weekend, including one which said: "You destroyed my life and have the cheek to say I ruined yours."

The killer had previously told a Salvation Army support worker that he wanted to "wipe out the bloodline" of Ms Vincent's family.

Prosecution speak about what happened prior to their deaths

Speaking about the relationship between Boulton and Ms Vincent in her opening speech to the jury, prosecutor Katherine Goddard QC said despite two restraining orders, he "continued to contact Bethany - by telephone, by text message, by social media messages, and by unannounced and uninvited visits to her home".

She continued: "None of that contact was sought by Bethany and, in fact, only a few days after her and DJ were stabbed to death, they were due to move to a new house - to an address unknown to Mr Boulton.

"Social services became involved with Bethany and her family after her first complaint to the police of domestic violence in November 2020."

Their concerns related only to the risk Mr Boulton presented to the family.

"He had, by then, expressed a hatred of Darren, a nine-year-old boy... who had been diagnosed with autism."

Telling the jury what witnesses had seen of Boulton on the day of the murders, Ms Goddard said: "He was seen running from an alleyway leading to the back of number 182.

"He seemed flushed, agitated, and called out to the witnesses to call an ambulance as someone had been stabbed inside.

"He then casually walked away, not waiting for the emergency services to arrive."

The judge thanked the jury for their efforts describing the case as one which had "real horrors" and was extremely distressing.

They were told "you have with great calmness listened objectively to the evidence, the arguments and the legal directions".

Now Boulton is beginning a life sentence and faces at least 40 years in prison for what he did.

In a victim impact statement read out in court the dad of 9 year old DJ Keiran Henson said when he heard what happened he felt sick, tears ran down his face, and he was was numb.

He said he wanted to look into Boulton's eyes as the sentence was being passed.

Floral tributes in Louth

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Greatest Hits Radio app.