Aurin Makepeace has been found guilty of murdering Steven Rothwell after Chester Crown Court heard she stabbed him in the chest at his flat in Macclesfield, left him there overnight, travelled back to North Wales, and later made calls admitting what she had done, including a voice note saying, “I’ve murdered my boyfriend.” The 43-year-old, from Tan Y Don in Prestatyn, was convicted on 25 March after a trial that began earlier this month. She is due to be sentenced on 10 April. (Cheshire Police)
The case centred on the killing of Rothwell, 41, at his home on Cross Street in the early hours of 19 August 2025. Prosecutors said Makepeace and Rothwell had known each other for about 12 years after first meeting in a men’s prison, and although their relationship had formally ended around 2023, they had remained in regular contact while both moved on to other relationships. CCTV shown to the jury placed the pair together in the days before the killing, making repeated trips to a local shop to buy alcohol during her stay. (Cheshire Police)
Court proceedings heard that Makepeace had travelled from Prestatyn to Macclesfield on 15 August to stay with Rothwell for several days. On 18 August, tensions escalated after a recent ex-girlfriend of Rothwell told him during a phone call that she had slept with another man. That disclosure triggered an angry confrontation in the street near Rothwell’s flat. According to Cheshire Police, Makepeace was present during the incident, slapped the woman in the face, and was verbally abusive. A passing motorist reported the disturbance and an officer attended soon afterwards. (Cheshire Police)
Police said that when officers later spoke to Rothwell at his flat, Makepeace was still there and was “irate”, repeatedly expressing anger about Rothwell’s ex-girlfriend. A number of hours after officers left, prosecutors said, Makepeace fatally stabbed Rothwell in the chest. Rather than contacting emergency services straight away, she remained at the address overnight and left the following morning. During the day that followed, she contacted several friends and disclosed that she had stabbed him. One of those communications was the voice note in which she said, “I’ve murdered my boyfriend.” (Cheshire Police)
Later that night, at 10.19pm on 19 August, Makepeace rang 999. The court heard she gave the name “Katie” to the call operator and claimed she was still at the flat in Macclesfield, when in fact she had already returned to rural North Wales. She told the operator that she had stabbed Rothwell and that he was dead, but also claimed she had acted in self-defence after being attacked. Cheshire Police officers reached the flat at 10.43pm and found Rothwell dead with a single stab wound to the chest. A yellow blanket had been placed over his body. Investigators said it was clear from the scene and from medical evidence that the fatal attack had happened much earlier than the 999 call suggested. (Cheshire Police)
The prosecution case rested heavily on the gap between the killing and the emergency call, as well as on the shifting explanations Makepeace gave after her arrest. In interview, she changed her account and said Rothwell had picked up the knife himself after discovering his current girlfriend had been unfaithful. She claimed he had intended to leave the flat to stab the other man and that the knife entered his chest accidentally while she was trying to stop him. She also said she had been too upset and frightened to call an ambulance and that Rothwell was still alive when she left. (Cheshire Police)
That version of events was rejected by the jury after hearing forensic and medical evidence. Cheshire Police said the knife had likely been washed and placed among other items in the kitchen. Rothwell’s blood was found on the blade and Makepeace’s DNA was found on the handle. Dr Medcalf, the forensic pathologist who gave evidence, said Rothwell would have died within 10 minutes of suffering the injury and described Makepeace’s account as very unlikely. Investigators also pointed to her journey back to Wales, including stops to buy sweets and vodka on the way, as evidence inconsistent with someone who had just been involved in a fatal struggle and feared for her own safety. (Cheshire Police)
Senior Crown Prosecutor Rachel Worthington said after the verdict: “Aurin Makepeace stabbed Steven Rothwell and then left him to die alone. She made no attempt to get any medical help for him. The reasons why she murdered him are known only to her. The jury have seen through Makepeace’s layers of lies.” She thanked the witnesses who had helped bring the case to court and offered condolences to Rothwell’s family and friends. (Crown Prosecution Service)
Detective Inspector Simon Mills said the investigation had been able to trace Makepeace’s movements before and after the killing and expose what he described as deception at the heart of her defence. He said: “The evidence was overwhelming, but she still pleaded not guilty, putting Steven’s family through further distress and heartache. The jury did not believe Makepeace’s lies and she is now going to pay the price for her cruel violence and deception.” (Cheshire Police)
Rothwell’s family paid tribute to him after the guilty verdict, describing a man whose private qualities sat in stark contrast to the grim details heard in court. In a statement released by Cheshire Police, they said: “Ste was so resilient, mischievous and had the gentlest of hearts and we’re going to miss that strength he brought. He found a lot of comfort in literature and spent many moments behind a book, either sat in a coffee shop or at the library. He will be forever thought about and we’re going to miss his witty sense of humour.” (Cheshire Police)
The verdict brought to an end a case that had drawn attention not only because of the violence of the killing but because of what followed it: the hours-long delay, the admissions to friends, the false identity given to the emergency operator, and the eventual discovery that Rothwell had been left alone in his flat long before police were finally called. The jury’s decision means Makepeace now faces sentence for murder, with the court due to hear her punishment on 10 April at Chester Crown Court. (Cheshire Police)
