Woman, 29, who murdered ‘sugar daddy’, 65,  sung Shania Twain’s hit ‘Man! I feel like a woman’ in court as she was convicted

A 29-year-old woman with a history of violence against men was found guilty today of murdering her ‘sugar daddy’ after stabbing him twice in the chest.

A jury at Mold Crown Court in North Wales took just three-and-a-half hours to convict Lauren Harris, 29, of no fixed address, and David Webster, 43, of Lacey Street, Widnes, Cheshire, of the ‘brutal’ murder of Mark Wilcox.

While the jury were deliberating, Harris could be heard singing Shania Twain‘s 1997 hit Man! I Feel Like A Woman as she was brought into the dock.

Mr Wilcox, 65, was a mere month into retirement when he was found dying in an armchair at his seafront home in Colwyn Bay.

The father-of-two and grandfather was found battered and stabbed twice in the chest in the early hours of November 20, 2023.

While the jury were deliberating, Lauren Harris (pictured) could be heard singing Shania Twain ‘s 1997 hit Man! I Feel Like A Woman as she was brought into the dock

Mark Wilcox (pictured) was a mere month into retirement when he was found dying in an armchair at his seafront home in Colwyn Bay

As her partner-in-crime Webster was led to the cells, he said: ‘Crazy b****’. 

The jury heard that Harris stabbed the retired Ministry of Defence computer expert twice as he sat in his armchair.

Harris fled the scene in Mr Wilcox’s red Volvo with her two pals Webster and Thomas Whiteley, 33, who she had invited over for a night of ‘drinking and drug-taking’.

Footage captured Harris sitting in the driver’s seat of Mr Wilcox’s car outside his home, shouting ‘come on’ and sounding the horn repeatedly.

Less than a minute after driving away, the car crashed.

Police were later called to a single-vehicle crash on the A55 slip road in Colwyn Bay and the car’s registration number was traced back to Mr Wilcox – who they found lying unconscious in his living room.

When she was interviewed by police, Harris denied playing any part in his killing and asked murder detectives: ‘Why am I getting nicked?’

The cold-hearted killer blamed Mr Wilcox’s death on her friends Webster and Whiteley.

After asking an officer about Mr Wilcox and ‘if he had died’, Harris added: ‘I’m in here because of what them two have done. It wasn’t me.’

After being told she was being arrested on suspicion of murder, she said: ‘No one’s done anything wrong. What do you mean, murder?

‘I’m not being funny, I don’t know why you’ve pulled me in for this when there are another two people that have done what they’ve done – and you’re pulling me in for the s*** that they’ve done.

‘Why am I getting nicked for it? It doesn’t make sense to me. I’ve done f*** all, anyway.’

Then an officer heard Harris whispering to herself: ‘They’ve killed him, haven’t they?’

Harris did not give evidence in court.

Mark Wilcox (pictured) was a father-of-two and grandfather

Mr Wilcox (pictured) was described by his family as a ‘gregarious’ and ‘generous’ man

The trial was previously told that Mr Wilcox had started a relationship with Harris because he ‘wanted to look after her’ in his retirement before repeatedly lending her money and even inviting her to move into his home. 

But the court heard how Harris ‘took advantage’ of the grandfather and father-of-two, who was described by his family as a ‘gregarious’ and ‘generous’ man whose ‘generosity spilled over with the people he met, including, sometimes, strangers’. 

Prosecuting KC Andrew Ford had told jurors that Harris had previous convictions for assault including unlawful wounding in 2022 involving use of a knife against a partner in a block of flats at Old Colwyn.

Mr Ford said the conviction was on the basis she had been defending herself but the force used by her was ‘excessive and unlawful.’ CCTV footage was played to the court.

Footage was also played of assaults by her on men in the centre of Wrexham and Colwyn Bay.

The prosecutor said Harris had a string of additional convictions for theft.

Opening the case Mr Ford told jurors: ‘All three were responsible for Mr Wilcox’s death. A flashpoint occurred after some hours of drinking and drug-taking in which events suddenly turned nasty and violent.

‘All three were involved in the physical attack on Mr Wilcox, either directly or by encouraging or assisting the others. It was an attack in which he was stabbed twice and assaulted with a weapon causing significant and different injuries.

‘All three were present and all three fled together, crashing his car and making off.’

While Harris and Webster were found guilty of the murder of Mr Wilcox, Whiteley of Clos Emlyn, Old Colwyn, was cleared of the killing.

The judge told him: ‘You leave court without any blot on your character.’

Mr Wilcox (pictured) had started a relationship with Harris because he ‘wanted to look after her’ in his retirement. He lended her money and even invited her to move into his home

A jury at Mold Crown Court (pictured) in North Wales took just three-and-a-half hours to convict Lauren Harris and David Webster of the murder of Mark Wilcox

Harris and Webster both had a record for violence. The victim Mr Wilcox had no convictions.

Trial judge Mr Justice Pepperall warned the pair today: ‘You have both been found guilty of the brutal murder of Mark Wilcox. There is only one sentence by law that I can pass and that will be a sentence of life imprisonment.’

Judge Pepperall will consider the minimum terms the pair must serve during sentencing next week. Both are in custody.