Man found guilty of murdering girlfriend in Chester
A jury found him guilty after a 16-day trial
A man has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend at his home in Chester.
Tony Devenport, 57, was found guilty after a 16-day trial at Chester Crown Court.
Cheshire Police were called at around 12:20pm on Sunday 20 July 2025 by Stephanie Blundell's father, who told officers that he'd found his daughter's lifeless body at Devenport's house on Canal Street.
Within minutes, officers and paramedics arrived but Stephanie was pronounced dead at the scene.
She had visible injuries to her face, neck and body - Devenport was then arrested and taken into custody.
During questioning, he denied being responsible for Stephanie's death. However, a post-mortem later confirmed that the injuries on Stephanie's body were the result of a sustained and violent assault.
He was charged with Stephanie's murder, but despite his denial, a jury found him guilty.
Detective Inspector Andrea Price, of Cheshire Constabulary's Major Investigation Team, said:
"Though I am pleased with today’s outcome, there are sadly no winners in this case.
"Stephanie’s family described her as a fun-loving, caring, beautiful girl, and my thoughts are with them today as they continue to come to terms with such a loss.
"No parent should ever have to go through the pain of losing a child, nor should they have to sit and relive that trauma by way of a trial.
"Devenport was a coward"
"Devenport was a coward, he has shown no remorse for his actions and throughout the investigation he has refused to admit what he did.
"Thankfully, the case presented in court against him was overwhelming and left the jury with no option but to find him guilty of murder.
"While nothing will ever bring Stephanie back, I do hope her family can find some comfort in knowing Devenport will now be held accountable for what he’s done."
Devenport is due to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday 27 February.
DI Price added:
"Many victims of domestic abuse suffer in silence, isolated from those closest to them.
"If one thing can come from Stephanie’s tragic death, it’s encouraging other victims of domestic abuse to come forward and contact us.
"We treat all reports of domestic abuse extremely seriously and will use all the powers available to us to ensure that those responsible are held accountable."