DAMIAN Horner claimed he was ‘possessed by alcohol’ when he went on a murderous knife rampage that resulted in the death of Wendy Francis.
Horner was also charged with the attempted murder of his girlfriend Stacey Hill — here’s everything we know.
West Mercia PoliceDamian Homer stabbed Wendy Francis to death in March 2024[/caption]
PAWendy welcomed Homer into her family ‘with open arms’[/caption]
Who is Damian Homer?
Damian Homer is a 51-year-old man from Worcester who was convicted of murder and attempted murder in November 2024.
Before the sickening crime, he had a background working as a lorry driver, dairy manager, DJ and care worker.
He was in a relationship with Stacey Hill and had a prior criminal record — including a suspended sentence for assaulting his girlfriend in June 2020, which left her with injuries.
The murder of Wendy Francis
On the evening of 2 March 2024, Damian Homer launched a brutal knife attack at the home he shared with Stacey on Haresfield Close, Worcester.
The attack followed an argument — no further details of which have been reported — and resulted in the murder of Wendy Francis, 61, who was Stacey’s mother.
Homer also tried to kill Stacey, who was 38 at the time.
Wendy arrived at the property after being alerted by her daughter, who had seen Homer arming himself with a knife.
When she entered, Wendy tried to protect her daughter, but Homer stabbed her twice, inflicting fatal injuries.
In a desperate attempt to protect her mother, Stacey was also stabbed multiple times, suffering life-threatening injuries including a collapsed lung.
She thankfully survived after ten days in hospital, three of which were spent in intensive care.
Trial
The court heard that Homer was intoxicated, having consumed a significant amount of alcohol on the day of the attack.
He later wrote to his partner from custody, claiming “alcohol possessed me” and that he had little recollection of the attack.
Both women sustained defensive injuries, with the judge noting that they were “fighting for their lives”.
Sentencing
Passing sentence, Judge Mayo described the murder and attempted murder as “selfish and cruel”.
We will never come to terms with why this happened on the 2 March, but what we do know is she will be loved and missed forever
Family Statement
He added: “This senseless killing took place during a near-fatal attack on your partner, Stacey Hill.
“Both of your victims sustained defensive injuries. It would not be an exaggeration to say that both women were fighting for their lives.”
Homer pleaded guilty to the murder of Wendy Francis and the attempted murder of Stacey Hill at Worcester Crown Court.
On 7 November 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years before being eligible for parole.
Stacey’s courage, both during the attack and throughout the court proceedings, was commended by investigators and the judge.
SWNSThe murder was committed on Haresfield Close, Worcester[/caption]
Wendy’s loved ones said in a statement issued through West Mercia Police after Homer was jailed that she was “one in a million with a heart of gold”.
It continued: “[Wendy] welcomed Damian Homer into the family with open arms, showing nothing but love, support and loyalty towards him, which makes all of this so much harder to comprehend.
“We will never come to terms with why this happened on the 2 March, but what we do know is she will be loved and missed forever.”
Andy Fowler, 63, has lived on Haresfield Close his whole life and said he knew Wendy well.
He said: “It has always been a good street.
SWNSPolice and forensics attending the scene of the brutal crimes[/caption]
“I saw the ambulance working on somebody and the police were holding a blanket around it, so I knew that something serious was going on.
“I know them very well. They are very good friends of mine.
“I am very shocked, I can’t believe it.”
Murder 24/7 Episode 4: Killing in the Close — Part One
An episode of the BBC’s Murder 24/7 is dedicated to the tragic murder of Wendy Francis.
The series follows complex murder investigations from the multiple perspectives of detectives and specialists, providing a minute-by-minute account of the events that transpired.
You can catch the episode on BBC Two at 9pm on Monday, June 23, 2025.
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