Man guilty of murder after stabbing boss 15 times and writing 'bully' on her forehead

'She rejected him and he reacted with anger and violence, that is the reality of the case,' says prosecutor Alan Gardner

Jill Howell was described as 'an absolutely lovely person' by friends (PA)

A man who stabbed his former boss 15 times and scrawled “bully” on her head has been convicted of murder.

David Browning, who worked at the University of Brighton, attacked Jillian Howell with a knife, stabbing her in the chest, back and forehead after developing an obsession with her, a court heard.

He denied murder but admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But a jury at Hove Crown Court found him guilty on Wednesday after deliberating for two hours and 20 minutes.

Browning showed no emotion as the verdict was read out, as relieved gasps and cries of “yes thank you" came from the packed public gallery.

The 52-year-old, who had been Ms Howell’s deputy in the payroll department at the university, claimed that they had initially clashed at work before becoming friends.

Browning said he had been battling with depression following the death of his father in October 2016.

Ms Howell, who volunteered with the Samaritans, told friends she wanted to help cheer up Browning by inviting him to her house to talk over dinner, the court heard.

But prosecutors said he developed an “intense attachment”, becoming “possessive, controlling and jealous”.

Ms Howell told friends she felt manipulated when Browning demanded she must "never leave" the university or get a boyfriend and should be "concentrating on him".

Browning, a married father of two, denied that he wanted to have an affair with Ms Howell when questioned by his brother, the court heard.

Body worn video footage from Sussex Police of David Browning handing himself in (PA)

But it emerged he sent “flirtatious” text messages, in which he said he “adored” her, according to a psychiatrist who gave evidence.

Prosecutor Alan Gardner said Browning became "plainly attracted" to Ms Howell, who was lending him a sympathetic ear, adding: "He discovered she didn't have the same feelings as him.

“She rejected him and he reacted with anger and violence, that is the reality of the case."

The 52-year-old, who claimed he had “daily” suicidal thoughts, had decided he "must" kill Ms Howell two weeks before her murder, the court heard.

His defence claimed his depression had impaired his ability to think.

On 25 October, on the morning of the murder, Browning claimed he wrote a series of suicide notes early at work that day, and a further letter as part of a failed attempt to implicate Ms Howell’s friend Sean McDonald in the crime.

He went to her house for dinner again that evening and described to the court how a “whoosh” came over him before he stabbed her in the back while she bent down to tie a shoelace.

He told the court she grabbed the knife and screamed "you bastard", to which he replied: "I'm sorry Jill, this is what mental health does to you."

Browning stayed in the house for "several hours" until early the next morning, the court heard, during which time he posted a cartoon on Facebook with the slogan "Stand up to bullies, then kill them" - a post "liked" by two people.

He turned himself over two police at around 6am, after ringing 999 to say he was standing in the street with a knife and had attempted suicide.

When he was approached by officers, he was also found to have a gun but was "calm, coherent and collected".

He told officers: "In a nutshell, I have killed my boss."

Ms Howell was later found lying covered in blood on the floor of her lounge.

The court heard how he had gone to the police station to hand himself in earlier that day, but found it was closed when he arrived.

Prior to handing himself in, Browning made a bid to frame Mr McDonald, Ms Howell’s “best friend”, by spraying his name on the wall in her house, and changing her will to make him appear to be the sole beneficiary.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr McDonald told how he first learned of Ms Browning’s death when a police officer came to his door, before letting him know there were clues that suggested he was involved.

The 60-year-old, who worked for Sussex Police officer for 30 years, said: “Throughout his evidence, he had to step back on claims he had made, about me, about Jill.

"In the end, he confirmed that we had never spoken or met and I was not in the least involved.”

Mr McDonald, who is also a councillor, said Browning misinterpreted his relationship with Ms Howell, who was his “companion” but who “there was never anything sexual" with.

He added: "He also painted Jill to be this demon and a bully at work.

"But no-one has a bad word to say about her. In the end he had to admit that he wrote 'bully' on her forehead but she wasn't one.

"She was not like that, she was an absolutely lovely person, and I was not in anyway involved.

"He didn't seem to be able to give a reason for killing her, but the prosecution thought he was jealous of my relationship with her and I think this too from what I've heard in the trial and from what other people have told me.

"He is just evil."

Additional reporting by PA