Hundreds mourn Derbyshire mum of three found stabbed to death with new lover

PE teacher Helen Hancock, 39, was discovered with fatal knife wounds alongside partner Martin Griffiths,48, in the early hours of January 1.

She had been stabbed with such ferocity that the entire blade including the handle plunged into her stomach during the attack at her home in Duffield.

The lifeless body of Mr Griffiths, a company director, was found by police while paramedics batted in vain to save Helen, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Former headteacher Rhys Hancock, 39, is charged with stabbing to death the pair and will stand trial accused of murder in the summer.

Yesterday (Tuesday 11), friends and family gathered for Helen's funeral at St Alkmund's Church, in her home town of Duffield.

Her family said that all donations would go the "benefit of Helen's children".

Helen was found alongside Mr Griffiths, who friends said she had been seeing for a couple of months, after emergency services rushed to the scene at around 4am.

A court heard Hancock's mother called police to warn officers her son was travelling to his former marital home after finding out Helen had started a new relationship.

Hancock called 999 himself before police attended the £400,000 detached property in New Zealand Lane and made the grim discovery.

Horrified neighbours heard someone screaming: “They’re dead! They’re dead! What have you f******g done?” at about 3am.

Helen's children - aged nine, seven and four - were not in the house at the time of the attack and were staying with Hanock's mother ten miles away.

Mr Griffiths split from his wife Claire, 40, earlier in 2019 and the pair had a son and daughter together.

Derbyshire Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct after it emerged Helen and had called officers prior to being killed.

Ms Almey's family said in a statement previously: “The family are devastated at the loss of Helen who was a lovely, beautiful, friendly, bubbly and social person.”