Brutal abuser fed sufferer solely ‘vodka and ice lollies’ and left her with 100 accidents
Tony Devenport was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years after being found guilty of murdering his partner Stephanie Blundell in Chester
Tony Devenport will have to spend a minimum of 22 years in prison before being considered for release(Image: PA)
A killer who abandoned his partner with more than 100 injuries after plying her with vodka and ice lollies while she was trapped in his home has been sent to prison for life. A court heard how he will only be considered for release after serving 22 years.
Tony Devenport, 57, received his sentence at Chester Crown Court after jurors heard how he had subjected 41-year-old Stephanie Blundell to a torrent of abuse, leaving her with bruises on her face and body. Ms Blundell was discovered dead on a mattress by her father Philip at the property she shared with Devenport in Canal Street, Chester in July 2025.
A jury convicted him of murder following a trial that concluded up on Wednesday (February 25). Sentencing Devenport on Friday (February 27), Mrs Justice Steyn declared the defendant had killed his “compassionate, kind-hearted and courageous” partner of two years.
The judge said: “Stephanie Blundell died on the morning of July 20, 2025 as a result of fierce, repeated and sustained assaults inflicted by you over the preceding day or two,” according to the Mirror. “Her father had the most terrible experience a parent can face of visiting her shortly after midday on that Sunday, only to discover that his beloved daughter lay dead, with the marks of the severe beatings you had meted out abundantly clear.”
The judge continued: “She always saw the good in people, including you, never giving up on them. She had an enormous capacity to love and a bright smile that could light up a room.”
Ms Blundell’s father revealed to the court in an impact statement that finding his daughter will “stay with me for the rest of my life”. He sobbed: “The thought that she died alone in pain with nobody to comfort her haunts me every day.”
The court was told that when Devenport first met Ms Blundell, she had been battling an alcohol dependency for years. But the pair had been keeping themselves sober until they went on a trip to Slovakia last May — when they began drinking “heavily”.
Devenport showed controlling and coercive behaviour over Ms Blundell, and despite them living together for nearly two years, she wasn’t given a key to their home and he retained her bank card in his wallet, the court heard. The judge added that whilst drunk, Devenport would inflict horrific abuse at his partner in the months leading up her death.
Devenport was detained on suspicion of attacking Ms Blundell 10 days before she died but violated his bail terms “within minutes” by calling her. She “never left” his home again after he arranged for a taxi to collect her.
Between July 10 and 20, Ms Blundell had “no means of contacting anyone” and was unable to even get out of bed, all whilst Devenport purchased more than 12 litres of vodka and 72 cans of beer. The judge said that evidence found Devenport had beaten Ms Blundell twice in the days leading up to her death, causing substantial injuries to her brain.
Mrs Justice Steyn said Ms Blundell, who suffered from acute pancreatitis and alcoholic ketoacidosis, was “bound to be pleading with you for help” in the days leading up to her death, yet he provided her only with alcohol and ice lollies. She addressed the defendant: “As a result of your actions, Stephanie would have been in pain and fear and you kept her there, offering little but vodka.”
She died from multiple injuries inflicted upon her, worsened by the effects of chronic alcoholism, a post-mortem examination revealed. In a statement issued after the sentencing, Ms Blundell’s family said: “Steph was, without question, one of the most radiant souls you could ever hope to meet.
“She was kind-hearted, quick-witted and effortlessly stylish. Her warmth and compassion have been evident throughout this trial and that brings us some comfort that her true loving nature has been seen by so many.”
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