A MUM has revealed the horror moment she knew her daughter's boyfriend had murdered the teen after her husband found her dead.
Ellie Gould, 17, was knifed at least 13 times by her jilted ex-boyfriend Thomas Griffiths, 18, in her family home in Calne, Wilts, in May 2019.
She was discovered in a pool of blood by her dad Matthew after Griffiths, then 17, snapped when Ellie rejected his pleas to get back together.
The callous killer had inserted the knife into Ellie's neck and placed it in her hands to stage a fake suicide before attempting to clean the crime scene.
Ellie's mum Carole, 52, has now said she new Griffiths was to blame for her daughter's killing after the devastating news was revealed.
Reliving the moment she found out Ellie had been stabbed, she said: "My husband, Matthew, came home first and rang me hysterically. He said I had to come home, because Ellie had had a terrible accident.
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"I jumped in the car and had all these thoughts rushing through my head, then a police car sped past me with the sirens on.
"There were so many ambulances and police cars outside the house that I had to park down the street, and I sprinted up the drive to find Matthew sobbing.
"I asked him what was happening, and he turned to me and said: 'Ellie's dead'."
Carole explained how she was sitting with her husband in a police car when officers asked about Ellie's friends and whether she had a boyfriend.
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She added: "When we were taken to the police station and told us this was now a murder inquiry.
"Me and Matthew just looked at each other and knew it was her boyfriend."
New documentary Killer at The Crime Scene on 5STAR this week revealed the clues officers found that helped snare Griffiths.
A manhunt had been launched for Ellie's killer after neighbours revealed they saw a hooded man in dark clothing acting suspiciously in the area.
Digital forensic specialists then harvested data from Ellie’s phone and discovered a text sent to a pal cancelling a lift to school.
Police believed the message was only sent to evade suspicion and buy more time to clean up the crime scene.
Convinced Ellie knew her killer, officers quickly honed in on her jealous ex-boyfriend Griffiths.
He had spun a web of lies including a selfie he sent to pals claiming he had been "scratching" himself due to the stress he was under to explain injuries he had received as Ellie desperately tried to fight back.
These "defence wounds" heaped more suspicion on the killer, the show revealed.
Senior Investigating Officer Jim Taylor said: "You know, he's presenting with what we would describe as defence wounds.
"When you attack someone, their instant reaction is to fight back and protect themselves. with injuries like that, it automatically again raises your suspicions."
Officers began tracing Griffiths' movements and discovered CCTV of him on a bus despite his mum dropping him at school that morning.
He then drove the family car – despite not having a licence – to Ellie's house where he brutally murdered the teen.
Following the horror, Griffiths drove back home before dumping a number of items he had used to clear up the crime scene in woodland.
When faced with an overwhelming trove of evidence, the monster admitted murder.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
In 2019, he was jailed for life with a minimum of just 12 years and six months – meaning he could be back on the streets by the time he is 30.
In a cruel twist, Ellie had demanded proper punishment for young killers in an essay written just weeks before she was slaughtered.
The teen, who wanted a career with the police, said kids who kill are “unforgivable” in an A-Level assignment.
Her parents are now continuing her daughter's fight and campaigning for tougher sentences for domestic murders.
Carole said: "There is a 10 year difference in the minimum sentence if you kill someone in a home compared to if you kill someone in the street.
"Ellie's death was horrific and intimate, yet the sentence is lesser.
"To me that's diminishing women's lives.
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"Griffiths had been showing controlling behaviour before he killed Ellie – he'd been pestering her to go to his house constantly.
"He's a danger to women and should never be allowed out."
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