EXCLUSIVE

By Hayley Robinson

She’s spent the last four years behind bars after she was convicted of murdering her violent boyfriend, now Kirsty Scamp is adjusting to life on the outside after being freed from prison by appeal court judges.

Speaking exclusively to the Sittingbourne Messenger earlier today (Friday) Kirsty said she was finding it all a "whirlwind" after the Court of Appeal agreed on Wednesday to downgrade her conviction to manslaughter and reduce her life sentence to six years.

She should have walked free that day but because she has already served half her sentence at London’s Holloway prison and is being let out on licence she had to return to her cell for the night as there was paperwork to be sorted out.

Mum Patsy Barker picked Kirsty up Thursday afternoon but the conditions of her licence meant the 24-year-old couldn’t return to the family home in Milton.

As a result she is now staying with a family member on Sheppey.

Kirsty said: "I would have preferred it if I was at home. Going back [to Holloway] was heartbreaking. When you’re told your conviction has been overturned I should have walked out a free woman that day but they took me back.

"I’m not bitter I knew in the end justice would be done. I knew I didn’t intend to kill someone and with Justice for Women [which took on Kirsty’s case] and my solicitor Harriet Wistrich I knew in my heart they would fight my corner and I would get somewhere."

The former Westlands School pupil was just 20 when she was sentenced to at least 12 years behind bars for stabbing to death Jason Bull at their flat in Beach Street, Sheerness.

Maidstone Crown Court heard in February, 2007 how Scamp killed Mr Bull 11 months before in a jealous rage after she heard him on the telephone to another woman.

The knife entered his left lung and he died within minutes.

The woman Mr Bull was telephoning told the court they were just friends.

Kirsty launched an appeal two years ago against her murder conviction arguing it should have been manslaughter.

Full story in next week’s Sittingbourne Messenger.