Murder Of Gemma Hayter

Gemma Hayter was different from most children. At the early stages of her life, she showed signs of being very behind for her age, not hitting milestones, etc. Her family suspected a learning disability and after many trips to the doctors, she was diagnosed with autism. Due to the fact, that doctors couldn’t pinpoint exactly what her condition was, she didn’t receive any help during her childhood and her family received no support. Gemma Hayter finally was able to attend special school at age 14.

Hayter entered adulthood and wanted her own space. Not to mention, the older Hayter got, the more difficult it became to look after her. Her family applied for a certain help accommodation where she’d live in a council house and someone would be there to check up on her. Assisted housing.

 

The council said they’d assess her and one man came over to the house. He was there for less than 20 minutes and 15 minutes Gemma wasn't even in the room.

 

However, she was denied this right by the council and social services who were very lazy in keeping an eye out on Gemma, who needed them. She wasn’t especially needed to them. I’m not sure how they came to that conclusion when she wasn’t even in the room when the assessor was there but, ok.

 

From ages of 17–27. Gemma was assessed 168 times by different associations and people. These associations that were supposed to help here are:

Adult social care

Rugby housing department

West Midlands Ambulance service.

GP and primary services

University hospital, Coventry, and Warwickshire

Police

Community health service

social services

7 other unnamed agencies

Gemma’s family got her a flat nearby and the state Gemma lived in, only proved her disability and that she wasn’t capable of looking after herself.

Gemma started hanging out with people that were near the flat. They noticed straight away that Gemma was especially needed and was very vulnerable. All Gemma wanted was to be accepted and these people started taking advantage of that.

These people would get Gemma to buy them things with her money and it was as if Gemma was paying these people to be her friend. Things escalated and they started getting Gemma to hide drugs in her flat. They told her they were Christmas or birthday presents and they wanted them safe or it would ruin the surprise.

These “friends” were: Chantelle Booth aged 21, Daniel Newstead aged 20, Joe Boyer aged 18, Jessica Lynas aged 18, and Duncan Edwards aged 19.

 

Gemma being as vulnerable as she is, believed them.

One night on the 8th August 2010, the gang of 5 were showing their ID’s at the pub door and Gemma made a joke and said to the pub manager at the door that Chantelle was only 16, which she wasn’t - It was a minor joke on Gemma’s behalf. This infuriated the gang.

 

The five of them lured Gemma into the flat before savagely beating her, her blood was found splashed against the radiator implying they’d rammed her into it, the five of them urinated in beer cans and forced Gemma to drink out of them. They wrapped duct tape around her head* and broke her nose before, dragging her out of the flat and promised Gemma they’d take her back home.

(CCTV FOOTAGE: Gemma is the one right at the back, trailing on).

*The duct tape account varies. One source said they wrapped duct tape around her head and the other said a plastic bag. (It’s most likely a plastic bag as this was said in court.) I think it may have been both but at different points.

 

Gemma was relieved at this point and probably thought, she’d go home and it would be all over. However, this was far from the truth.

 

The five of them took Gemma in the opposite direction, beating her more, stabbing her, stripping her naked, and leaving her to die. Cold, slowly, and naked in a ditch by an unused railway.

Her cause of death was choking on her blood.

The court’s judge said: "She had to be taken out of the flat, cleaned up so that attention would not be drawn to her en route. She tagged along, battered, in pain, and unsuspecting, like a faithful loving dog, as you walked her to her death,"

The judge also said:

"When she screamed, struggled, and shed it, you replaced it. She choked to death on her blood because of what, there and in the flat, you had done to her. One final indignity was to come - you stripped her naked and left her body where you had dragged it. Gemma Hayter died alone."

The judge described Gemma’s so-called best friend, Chantelle Booth a “nasty piece of work”.

If Gemma had gotten the assisted council accommodation like she was supposed to. None of this would have happened. Her family would have been able to keep a closer eye on her and, monitor these thugs.

Chantelle was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison. Newstead was sentenced to 20 years and Boyle was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

(Daniel Newstead, Chantelle Booth, Joe Boyer)

Jessica Lynas and Duncan Edwards were sentenced to 13 and 15 years after previously being convicted of manslaughter.

 

It’s evil and what makes it worse is that Gemma would have forgiven them if she were still here because that’s how vulnerable she was.

They don’t even care either. I was digging around and came across Jail letters, Joe Boyer had written.

“Can’t wait to go to a proper jail for lifers. They sound sick (slang

for good) bro, the key to my door, bare s*** to do, PlayStation and DVD.”

 

“I get to go to town with a screw in normal clothes I go to

McDonald's and cinema and Nandos. It sounds sick.”