The Murder of Lucy Royle

Lucy Royle was just 21 years old, living in Davyhulme in Manchester, and enjoying life. She received a call on her cell phone, and went to a rendezvous with a former boyfriend.  She was not to know that she was about to be brutally murdered.  She was found by a dog walker near Trafford Centre.  Her injuries were horrific.  She had suffered massive head trauma, and if that was not bad enough, she had been stabbed 18 times in the back.  It did not take Police long to arrest twin brothers Joseph Coburn & Gary Joyson, aged 22.  They had been adopted with one of the brothers taking that family name.  Joyson`s girlfriend, Louise Calvert, 21 was also arrested.  

    Coburn pleaded guilty to her murder, with the other two cleared of murder but found guilty of perverting justice, false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit actual bodily harm.  Joyson received six years, Calvert four.  They claimed they did not know that Coburn intended to kill Lucy in April 2003.  She was battered with a concrete block, and then stabbed.  The attack took place in a Lovers Lane, near Old Barton Road.  The call had been made by Calvert & Joyson.  Coburn had been out of jail for just ONE day when he committed murder.  The Judge commented that Coburn "lost it" after his demand for sex was rejected.  Previously, Lucy had been a prosecution witness in an armed robbery case that saw Coburn spend 18 months in prison.  No doubt some excuses would be made by the "ugg, glug, gurgle, snarl" brigade over what she had done to her, following her actions but that is somebody standing up for what is right.  Something that is remarkably lacking these days.  Coburn received 14 years for his crime.