Ex-partner Bethany Vincent murdered her son, Darren Henson. This was the culmination almost two years worth of domestic violence, abuse and her attempts to escape from him. They were protected by two restraining orders, but they didn’t suffice.
Bethany Vincent’s last, desperate shouts were not heard at all.
The scenes were not well-received by neighbors, so they didn’t pay much attention to the incident when her boyfriend showed up at her door, demanding she let him in. He was not unusual in his presence. He was known for being “shouty” as well as a nuisance. No one was surprised when he returned to the party that evening.
Two young girls were on their way to a park when they heard the cries from an open window. They dialed 999.
The screams stopped and the mother and son, Darren Henson (9 years old), were both dead. Both were repeatedly stabbed and suffered fatal injuries to their hearts.
When a man with a blue rope appeared in their view, the girls fled scared. Witnesses say he appeared “flushed and agitated” shortly after he left the Louth property at High Holme Road. He told a passer-by that someone had been stabbed before fleeing from the scene.
Daniel Boulton, the man who had been attacked, had walked 28 m from Skegness’ homeless shelter to his ex-wife, 26 years earlier. She was trying to escape him for the past two years and was about to move to a new home and start afresh when he attacked her on 31 May 2021. Boulton spent the afternoon wandering around Louth, before breaking into Bethany’s home at night. He stabbed her nine times, and Darren fourteen times, using a kitchen knife.
Bethany’s cry for help was not her first. Boulton was a violent past and Bethany had previously told officers that she wanted Boulton out of her life. Two restraining orders were issued and social services declared Boulton a high-risk to Bethany’s family. He ignored the orders and continued his harassment campaign.
They had started a relationship in 2019 and it quickly ended. This was marked by Boulton’s violence towards Bethany, Darren (also known as DJ) and others. Boulton began to hate the boy because of his autism. He believed that his behavior would “rub off” on his young child. His animosity towards Bethany’s child grew, and so did his hatred towards her.
Bethany’s mother was increasingly worried about her daughter’s boyfriend’s “possessive” nature. She witnessed one incident of domestic violence during a visit to the couple. Boulton confronted her “nose to nose” after he had thrown Bethany onto a couch.
A dispute over DJ turned into a physical assault on Bethany in November 2020. Boulton hit Bethany repeatedly with his fist and banged her head against the wall. Boulton followed her as she walked towards the station and told her how miserable he was, and that he wanted his life to end.
Boulton, then 29 years old, was placed under the first restraining orders, which prohibited him from ever contacting her.
After being charged with battery again three months later, a second restraining order was issued against Bethany in February 2021. Bethany stated that “nobody has the right hurt me like this… He shouldn’t be near my family and me. As I want him out my life, I’m willing and able to attend court.
Boulton continued to communicate with Bethany via social media, text, and phone as he repeatedly violated the injunctions. Boulton sent almost 900 messages in the week leading up to the murders using a fake Facebook account. One message read, “You destroyed me and now you have the courage to say that I ruined your life.” Bethany didn’t respond to any of these messages.
There are questions about whether there could have been more to stop Bethany’s and DJ’s deaths. Authorities were not able to identify their murderer in this case. One year prior to meeting Bethany, Boulton was in a relationship with another woman when he committed an act of domestic violence. He was charged with battery. Boulton also had other charges. In 2011 and 2016, Boulton assaulted police officers, hitting them on the head with a vodka glass and asking them to hand over their phones at knifepoint.
He also made disturbing comments about “wipingout” Bethany’s bloodline, which were then fed back to support staff. He said to a friend that he hated DJ, and wanted him to die.
Boulton attributed his upbringing, which included being “passed around like Oliver Twist”, and bullying to his “Jekyll and Hyde” personality. Boulton was told by former friends Ashley Henson and Emma Distance that he had a fiery temper and loved to fight. They called his relationship to Bethany “toxic” and said that he had regular arguments with DJ. Although they have never seen physical abuse, they heard Boulton “belittle Beth, verbally degrade her and call her stupid and many other names, and shout at her”.
The question that hangs over this case is: Why did Boulton kill Bethany despite having two restraining order against him? It has not been confirmed whether any of his breaches were reported. According to the Centre for Women’s Justice, it is not uncommon for victims to lack faith and trust in the justice system.
Nogah Ofer, CWJ solicitor, said that “when there are breaches orders police aren’t taking action and it makes women reluctant to report it.”
Police responded to those reports by prosecuting Boulton for assaults on Bethany. The CWJ believes that women and girls should be protected more.
It’s about 80 women killed each year by their partners or ex-partners. We can all picture 80 people dying in terrorist attacks every year. That’s how much resources will be required,” Ms. Ofer says.
In April 2019, the CWJ filed a super-complaint addressing alleged failures of UK police forces to use protective measures to safeguard girls and women. The HM Inspectorate of Constabulary College of Policing, Independent Office for Police Conduct and Independent Office for Police Conduct accepted it. A joint report admitted that support for victims was sometimes not adequate and that there was a lack of understanding among police officers about how to use protective measures.
The government has now unveiled a strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. A follow-up report to the police inspectorate’s Report, published in the wake Sarah Everard’s death, made further recommendations to “improving, standardising” protective measures and responding appropriately to breaches, including making arrests.
Ms. Ofer stated that basic training should be provided to all police officers on the front line and domestic abuse officers. She also suggested that there need to be better supervision, monitoring, and guidance regarding how orders are used and how they are handled.
Bethany’s case will see a review of the domestic homicide response by agencies. It will be published in late 2012 and examine the responses.
The Lincolnshire Police declined to comment on Boulton’s breach of Boulton’s restraining order and other violations.
A spokesperson for the force said that at Boulton’s trial, they hoped his conviction would bring Bethany’s and Darrens families “some closure”.
DJ’s father Kieran Henson said that “No sentence in this world will suffice for what he did to my son and Beth.”
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