Man, 47, arrested after woman stabbed to death in Bootle shop in suspected domestic attack
A woman has died after being stabbed in a shop in Bootle, Merseyside, in what police are treating as a suspected domestic attack.
Emergency services were called to a business premises on Stanley Road, near its junction with Wadham Road, shortly after 5.05pm on Friday, June 20. Officers found a 44-year-old woman with a stab wound to her torso.
She was taken to hospital in critical condition but later died from her injuries. Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. Merseyside Police confirmed that patrols detained a man at the scene and seized a knife.
A 47-year-old man from Widnes was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He has now also been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody for questioning.
Detective Inspector Gavin Mulcahy said: “It is desperately sad that a woman lost her life earlier today as a result of this incident. Our thoughts first and foremost are with her family, who are now left to grieve her loss in the most tragic of circumstances. They will be fully supported by specialist officers in the coming days and weeks.
“The community too will feel the shock and upset of this incident, and we will have officers on high visibility patrols in the area over the weekend to hopefully provide reassurance and support for anyone who needs it. Detectives will continue to gather witness statements and forensic evidence to establish a full understanding of what took place.”
Police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.
“We know Stanley Road is a busy road, and there would have been people making their way home from work, heading to the shops or going out for the evening at this time,” Mulcahy said. “We would urge anyone who saw any part of this incident or may have CCTV to contact us.”
“This is currently being treated as a domestic assault in which the suspect and victim knew each other, and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it.”
Mulcahy added: “We treat all reports of domestic abuse extremely seriously, targeting offenders and supporting vulnerable victims all year round. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or believe a neighbour or someone you know is, please let us know so that we can investigate and take action.”