Claire Chick tragically died after she was stabbed by her ex-husband – the mother-of-two had made desperate pleas to the police & sent a chilling message to her friend before she was murdered
A lecturer who was brutally knifed by her estranged husband had sent a chilling text and a heartbreaking message to police before she was savagely killed. Paul Antony Butler, 53, stabbed Claire Chick, 48, to death in a frenzied attack outside her home after a six-month long campaign of harassment and stalking.
The university lecturer’s ex stabbed her 20 times with a large kitchen knife on January 22, which he had bought just hours earlier from a supermarket, after hearing about Ms Chick’s new partner. The mother-of-two had sent several harrowing messages and pleas before her former partner took her life.
Butler was jailed for life on Friday with a minimum term of 27 years, at Plymouth Crown Court. The court heard shocking details about the campaign of harassment the Plymouth University lecturer endured when Butler failed to accept their relationship was over.
READ MORE: Woman made chilling prediction to police – hours later she was dead
Woman’s desperate text to friend
Butler had been banned from going near his estranged wife, before her death, but this did not stop him from carrying on ruthlessly stalking her. At one point desperate Ms Chick sent a heartbreking text to her friend.
The message said: “I wish he would just get on with it and put me out of my misery.” Jo Martin KC, prosecuting, said 6ft 5in Butler had even put a tracking device on her car.
Chilling statement to cops day before death
Ms Chick had even contacted the police, days before she was killed, as her estranged husbands behaviour continued to escalate. Her desperate message to the cops said: “I only feel that Butler will kill me if further action is not taken. I am in fear of leaving my house.”
Ma Martin revealed the lecturer had made six pleas to the police and Butler was arrested three times before the deadly attack. Devon and Cornwall Police has made a referral to the police watchdog due to this previous contact with Ms Chick before her death.
Butler went to her flat in camouflage and lay in wait for her
The estranged husband turned up at Ms Chick’s flat wearing a camouflaged hoodie after learning about her new relationship. Butler waited for his ex to come out of the building before her launched his shocking attack.
He stabbed her in the street and a driver passing by the horror scene said he was “really going for it,” Ms Martin told the court.
Ex’s disturbing status update
Butler had even changed his status on Facebook after the horror attack to “Stangray Strangler” – in reference to Stangray Avenue where he lived. He also chased Ms Chick’s new partner, Paul Maxwell, who had returned from a regular evening run and witnessed the murderous assault, shouting at him: “I’ll f***ing do you too.”
Butler then fled the scene of the crime and Ms Chick was rushed to Derriford Hospital but declared dead an hour after the attack.
‘I am a monster. I am going to hell’
Butler was arrested at a hotel in Liskeard but he made a chilling statement to police as he was being taken away, according to PlymouthLive. The murderer said: “I am a monster. I have just seen hell, I am going to hell.”
Words like “evil”, “murderous” and “cruel” were used to describe Butler in court. He met Ms Chick at a time in her life where she was described as “emotionally vulnerable”.
They became neighbours in 2021, after Ms Chick had ended her first marriage, and started a relationship by the following summer. They married in June 2024 but Ms Chick expressed some reservations before their wedding and said she had ended things on their honeymoon. Ms Martin said. “They had a huge argument. She told friends she regretted getting married and everything was about him.
“On August 23 she told him she wanted to live alone. He made it clear he would make her change her mind. He would tell her he loved her, make threats of violence and threaten suicide. He also expressed feelings of jealousy and thought she was seeing someone. He told her he was seeing other people in order to provoke jealousy.”
Stalker ex’s alarming actions after break up
After their relationship ended, Butler’s behaviour became increasingly more concerning and he used several forms of emotional abuse against her, Ms Martin told the court. Ms Chick’s life had become “hell” after his stalking and harassment started.
Ms Martin said: “After the relationship was over there was constant texting, the tracking of her car, placing the restriction on the sale of her house, threatening suicide. She felt that he had made her life hell. She did repeatedly tell him to leave her alone and she felt violated by him. Then on the day of her murder, going to her workplace to watch her. She believed he would murder her.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email ** jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
