A DRUG-addict who strangled his girlfriend to death before driving around with her body in his car for two hours has been spared jail.
Gogoa Lois Tape, 28, admitted to killing young mother Kennedi Westcarr-Sabaroche, 25, in a jealous psychotic attack last year.
xKennedi Westcarr-Sabaroche[/caption]
PAGogoa Tape, 28, has been jailed today[/caption]
PAKennedi with her mother Linda[/caption]
Today, Judge Newbury sentenced Tape to a hospital order, under which he can be detained indefinitely, after psychiatrists gave evidence that he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the horror attack.
The killer, who previously worked as a plumber, appeared at Inner London Crown Court wearing a white shirt and stared straight ahead while the judge delivered her remarks.
Dozens of Kennedi’s family were present in court as his sentence was handed down.
Tape has smoked cannabis since 2014 and was told to stop by doctors who said it was harming his mental health and causing psychosis.
He carried on anyway, and even went on holiday in the months before Kennedi’s death, where he smoked cannabis daily.
The prosecution argued that his “voluntary abuse of cannabis” increased Tape’s responsibility for the killing, exacerbating his existing mental health issues.
Prosecutor Julia Faura Walker argued that he “intended to kill” and was “fully aware of the nature of his attack when he was doing it”.
Tape pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter with diminished responsibility after the Crown Prosecution Service previously agreed to drop a murder charge – despite the pleas of Kennedi’s devastated family.
Kennedi’s family have now slammed the justice system after he was handed a hospital order rather than life behind bars.
Her mother Linda Westcarr told a sentencing hearing: “She tried to leave a coercive relationship and paid with her life. The system has failed her, and failed us.
“No sentence can change the fact that we don’t have justice for Kennedi.
“We can never say she was murdered; we will have to explain to her young daughter the complexities of his conviction which in simple terms says he wasn’t totally responsible, and myself and my family will have to live with this injustice for the rest of our lives whilst the criminal justice system and everyone else moves on.
“As well as this perverse conviction, we have experienced a total lack of voice throughout the criminal justice system, including having to fight for our right to read out our Victim Personal Statement.
Domestic abuse – how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone – including men – and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night
Men who are being abused can call Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244
Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
“I have been silenced all the way and the whole journey has been about the offender.
“Even now Tape continues to reign control over us through the family courts.”
Her sister Danielle told the court: “I feel I have had to advocate for myself and for my family’s safety throughout this process.
“Kennedi deserved protection in life and she deserves justice in death.”
The court heard that in the months before her death, Ms Westcarr-Sabaroche had found a note written by Tape in which he wrote that he wanted to kill her and her mother.
Ms Westcarr-Sabaroche was killed on April 5 2024, when she had picked him up under the pretence of driving him to a job.
CCTV shown to the court shows the car stopping before Tape walked round to the driver’s side, opened the door, and lunged at Kennedi.
He stayed in that position for eight minutes, with the prosecution saying that this is when Tape was strangling her.
Prosecutor Julia Faura Walker told the court: “After the killing, he moved her from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt.
“He drove away so that the neighbours would not see; he continued to drive around the local area with her slumped next to him.
“He parked the car and bought cigarettes from a shop and sent a message from the deceased’s phone to her friend’s phone pretending to be her.”
Despite having access to her phone, Tape did not call for medical help.
It was only six and a half hours later that he confessed to his brother that he had killed his partner, who then called the police.
Kennedi was described as a “vibrant” and “loving” mother who had previously worked in marketing for the Prince’s Trust and had met King Charles twice during her job.
After giving birth to her daughter, she went to work at the charity Marie Curie.
PAKennedi’s family were left devastated after her death[/caption]
Jon BondHer mum Linda Westcarr and family were furious that the CPS dropped a murder charge[/caption]
AlamyHe was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
