‘Evil’ monster faces life in jail for drowning his girlfriend in a river

An “evil” killer who drowned his girlfriend in a river faces life in prison after being found guilty of her murder.

Vincent Joseph Morgan, 47, held Lisa Welford’s head under water while pretending to help her out of the River Derwent in Malton, North Yorks., in April.

Although a passer-by summoned help from a man and a police officer, who managed to pull Lisa, 49, from the river, she later died at Hull Royal Infirmary, a jury was told.

Morgan already had a history of attacking his partners before he formed a relationship with Lisa, a murder trial at Leeds Crown Court was told.

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He had tried to throw a previous girlfriend into the same river in Malton several years earlier over the railings of of a bridge and only stopped when passers-by stepped in.

His ex-girlfriend told the jury she had been “clinging to the railings for dear life” and “when he was drinking, he was evil”.

Morgan was banned from contacting or being with Lisa under a court order, the trial heard.

But he met up with her on April 24 this year and escorted her by bus to York and back before taking her down a path along the River Derwent beside Malton Bus Station.

He showed no reaction as the jury convicted him of Lisa’s murder by a majority verdict on Monday (December 2) after nearly 11 hours of deliberations.

They also convicted him unanimously of causing her actual bodily harm on two previous occasions. Lisa’s relatives wept silently as the verdicts were delivered.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, told Morgan he faces life in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday.

The jury heard Lisa, speaking on a police bodycam, say how she was so terrified of Morgan she didn’t want to give a statement against him.

She said that if he was jailed he would only hit her when he came out.

They also heard from Lisa’s friends how scared she was of him and how she had had to call out police to get him out of her house when he moved in.

The jury also heard from the previous partner how Morgan made her life hell for many years by repeatedly attacking her and how he continued to do so despite her being involved with several agencies who tried to help her.

She eventually managed to get away from him when she decided she couldn’t take his treatment any more.

Morgan was jailed in 2022 for conning a 102-year-old Dunkirk veteran by claiming he would do his gardening.

But instead he stole his commemorative war medal and used his bank card to steal thousands of pounds from his bank account.

Lisa’s family paid tribute to her after her death, describing her as a ‘wonderful mum’ who will be ‘sadly missed.’

They said at the time: “Lisa was a wonderful daughter, mum, auntie, and little sister. She had many friends both locally and further afield and will be sadly missed by all.

“We are sincerely grateful and appreciative of all the ongoing support that we have received from the local community. We kindly request that the family’s privacy is respected at this difficult time.”

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