Jamie Boughen jailed for life for Eliza Bibby murder

Jamie Boughen attacked 47-year-old Eliza Bibby at her Bungalow in Beechwood Road, Wisbech, on January 9, fatally stabbing her in the neck multiple times.

She was found lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of her own blood by a friend at about 6am the following day.

Jamie Boughen, who has been jailed for life for the murder of Eliza Bibby (Image: Cambridgeshire Police)

Boughen disposed of the knife and made his way home where he tried to remove any trace of Eliza’s blood on his body, clothing or footwear. The next day he bought a pair of replacement trainers.

But specialist officers brought in to search the house and surrounding streets and found a knife on a garage roof in nearby Beechwood Close.

The knife was found to have the victim’s blood on the blade and Boughen’s DNA on the handle.

The knife used to stab Eliza Bibby to death by Jamie Boughen (Image: Cambridgeshire Police)Boughen, 48, was arrested at his home in Waterlees Road, Wisbech, on  March 9 on suspicion of the murder.

A search of his house uncovered internal CCTV cameras. The footage for the night in question was downloaded and showed Boughen leaving the property at 10.41pm and returning at 11.04pm.

Once he returned, he washed his clothes in the sink with bleach and scrubbed under his fingernails.

Jamie Boughen is caught on CCTV washing his clothes after the murder (Image: Cambridgeshire Police)In interview, Boughen maintained his innocence and said he couldn’t remember what he had been doing that night and it wasn’t unusual to be washing his clothes at 1am.

In court he claimed he knew Bibby and would routinely buy drugs from her. On the day of her death, he said he went to her home, the door was ajar, and he went inside. He saw the knife and picked it up.

He then came across her lifeless body, panicked and ran, throwing the knife on the garage roof as he went.

Disabled Eliza Bibby's bungalow in Wisbech, where she was stabbed to death (Image: Chris Bishop)But after less than three hours of deliberation yesterday, the jury at Cambridge Crown Court disagreed with his version of events and returned a unanimous guilty verdict of murder.

He was sentenced at the same court to life in prison serving a minimum of 22 years. 

Det Insp Dale Mepstead, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “This is a tragic case where a woman has lost her life.

Police search down drains for the murder weapon after Eliza Bibby was stabbed to death in her bungalow in Wisbech (Image: Chris Bishop)“Given the evidence against him, I am pleased the jury saw through Boughen’s blatant lies and gave Eliza’s family some justice.

“I would also like to add my thanks to the police investigation team, Crown Prosecution Service and prosecution counsel for their hard work and a great team effort.”