Convicted rapist personal trainer, 40, faces life in jail for murder after stabbing his girlfriend, 23, through the neck in roid rage attack
- Rapist Taye Francis, 40, was in a ‘roid rage’ when he stabbed Khloemae Loy, 23,
- He knifed her in the neck in a hotel room in Greenwich, London, Old Bailey heard
- He took pictures of her body on the blood soaked bed and sent one to a solicitor
- Her parents begged Khloemae to leave him and knew that Francis would kill her
- When police came to their door, her father Dany said: ‘He’s killed her, hasn’t he’
Rapist Taye Francis (pictured), 40, was in a ‘roid rage’ when he stabbed Khloemae Loy, 23, in the neck in a hotel room near the O2 in Greenwich, London, the Old Bailey heard
A personal trainer who murdered his lover as he battled the effects of years of steroid abuse is facing a life sentence.
Rapist Taye Francis, 40, was in a ‘roid rage’ when he stabbed Khloemae Loy, 23, in the neck in a hotel room near the O2 in Greenwich, London, the Old Bailey heard.
He took pictures of her body on their blood soaked bed and sent one to his solicitor saying: ‘I’ve murdered my girlfriend.’
Francis then smashed the hotel window and fell from the fifth floor in an attempt to escape.
He was known as Ashley Wyatt when he was convicted of raping a 19-year-old at axe point in 2002.
She was attacked once in a train toilet and then frogmarched to his father’s home in Thornton Heath, southeast London, where she was raped again.
A six-year jail term did not curb Francis’s violence and he assaulted Khloemae many times. He was jailed again when he threw her in a wheelie bin.
Her parents had begged Khloemae to leave him and knew Francis would eventually kill her if she stayed with him.
When police came to their door on the day she was murdered, her father Dany did not have to ask why they were there and simply said: ‘He’s killed her, hasn’t he.’
Francis claimed he was not responsible at the time of the murder because he was mentally ill.
He took pictures of her body on their blood soaked bed and sent one to his solicitor saying: ‘I’ve murdered my girlfriend.’ Pictured: Khlomemae
He told psychiatrists he stabbed Khlomemae in the deluded belief she was helping people who were trying to kill him.
But the jury found he was to blame for his condition by injecting steroids and Francis now faces a life sentence.
Francis showed no emotion as he was convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury with a majority verdict of 10-to-two.
The victim’s mother Maxine wept in the back of the court as the verdict was announced.
The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft remanded the killer in custody until December 6.
The court heard steroid abuse leads to ‘impulsivity, irritability, reduced sleep and paranoid beliefs’ and several body builders have ended up as long term inmates in psychiatric institutions.
Francis was obsessed about his rape conviction and believed he was being hunted by vigilantes who wanted to take revenge.
Former Croydon College student Khlomemae met Francis when she was 18 and he was 34, when she she was working at a pub.
He had trained as a butcher at Smithfield but then moved into personal training and had been employed by wealthy clients at Canary Wharf.
By the time he killed Khlomemae he had been injecting steroids for almost ten years.
Francis lied to the teenager’s parents, Dany and Maxine Loy, claiming he was 26 and also a student at the college. It was the beginning of five year-nightmare for them.
Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon said: ‘Khloemae was rather secretive about the relationship.
‘When Mr and Mrs Loy met him they did not approve. They noticed that Khloemae’s behaviour started to change.
‘She began drinking a lot more. She said she wanted to move out of home and get her own place. There were a number of incidents which gave them cause for concern.’
The couple went to the Holiday Inn Express near the O2 arena on the Greenwich Peninsula (pictured), where Khloemae was to be murdered
Police were called in February 2017 after Francis assaulted Khloemae and threw her into a wheelie bin.
Francis was convicted of assault, jailed and a restraining order was issued preventing him from contacting his victim.
Her parents believed their ordeal was at an end and the couple were separated for some time.
But in December 2019 Khloemae called her mother to say that they were back living together again.
Ms Lumsdon said: ‘Khloemae kept talking to her mum about this situation as they went into 2020 and the mother recalls that she was becoming distressed by the situation,’
Francis and Ms Loy moved to a flat in Sutton after he became convinced people were ‘after him’.
‘On 1st July 2020, Mrs Loy received a call from Khloemae saying that she had been taken to hospital as concerns were raised when she was seen sitting on a window ledge.
‘She was calm when they spoke and her parents went to collect her from Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she had been kept overnight.
‘Her parents encouraged Khloemae to leave Mr Francis as they had done before.
‘Khloemae said she could not leave him or he would attack Mr and Mrs Loy. So they took her back to the flat in Sutton,’ said Ms Lumsdon.
At the flat they found Francis who was wearing a police-style ‘stab vest’ and had used a bed to barricade the door.
The next day, Ms Loy’s parents drove the pair to temporary accommodation in Slough. Francis believed the parents were driving around Slough watching him.
Two days before the killing Francis called the police claiming people outside of his flat were threatening him.
After officers who attended found no cause for concern the couple started frantically packing, saying they were moving back to London.
Later that day, officers were called to St Mary’s Hospital Paddington after hospital staff became concerned at Francis’ behaviour.
He and Ms Loy were seeking an urgent mental health assessment to get new accommodation, but were told there was a long wait and they would need to be assessed separately.
The officers who spoke to them let them go after becoming convinced that although Francis showed ‘signs of paranoia’ he was not ‘an immediate risk to himself or anyone else’.
On July 4, Khloemae called her mother and cancelled their plans to meet for shopping saying she was going to the coast to meet Francis’ parents instead.
She asked her father for £300 for tickets and accommodation. ‘Mr Loy transferred the money. That was the last time he spoke to her,’ said Ms Lumsdon.
After the incident at the hospital the couple went to a hotel in Pimlico and Francis called an ambulance there, saying he needed a mental health assessment as he was cutting himself.
From there the couple went to the Holiday Inn Express near the O2 arena on the Greenwich Peninsula, where Khloemae was to be murdered.
Francis injected steroids on the day before he killed his partner.
Later that evening, Francis sent a series of text to recipients, including some believe to be solicitors, claiming somebody had been trying to arrange his murder.
He spent the night doing internet searches including his name and ‘Taye Francis rapist’.
On the morning of her death, an ‘angry and upset’ Khloemae called the hotel reception to say somebody had knocked on her door, with the employee telling her she had asked reception not to do so.
Francis had began a paranoid rant, believing whoever had knocked on the door were people looking to kill him.
‘That was the last time anyone outside the room spoke to Khloemae,’ said Ms Lumsdon.
Just before 10am, Francis called an ambulance, telling the operator: ‘Quick, my girlfriend’s dying – I’ve stabbed her in the neck.’
During the 999 call, Francis broke the window of the hotel room.
As concerned hotel staff tried to gain access to the room, Francis told them the door was open even though it was not.
A solicitor who received one of Francis’ many paranoid messages about someone trying to murder him texted: ‘The police are the only people who can help you’.
In response, Francis sent him a picture of Ms Loy lying dead on the bed on WhatsApp, adding: ‘I’ve killed my girlfriend’.
Police arrived to see Francis throwing his luggage out of the fifth floor window before climbing on to the window ledge.
‘He climbed out of the window and appeared to the officers below to be trying to climb down. He hung for a moment, trying to get a foothold,’ said the prosecutor.
‘Taye Francis continued to try to lower himself down, but he lost his grip and fell onto the ledge above the main entrance to the hotel.’
After forcing themselves into the room, officers found Ms Loy’s lifeless body on top of bedsheets soaked in blood.
‘She had a deep cut to her neck,’ said Ms Lumsdon.
Police later found a set of kitchen knives in the room which had been purchased by Mr Francis and the victim about a week earlier from Asda in Sutton.
Ms Lumsdon said a larger blue knife found in a cardboard box in the bathroom was identified as the murder weapon.
Francis was found on the ledge bleeding but conscious, by officers who arrested him and administered first aid.
He broke his collar bone, shoulder and rib and fractured a vertebrae and spent three weeks in hospital.
‘On Sunday 5th July in the afternoon Mr and Mrs Loy were at home when uniformed police knocked on the door,’ said Ms Lumsdon.
‘Her father came downstairs. He said: ‘He’s killed her, hasn’t he?’. The officers confirmed that he had.’
In an impact statement, Khloemae’s parents said: ‘Khloemae was only 23 at the time of her death. She is missed by her family and friends.
‘We all miss her bubbly personality, she was always the life and soul of the party and she always tried to see the best in everyone. She was like our little china doll.
‘At the age of 23 Khloemae had already endured five years of suffering at the hands of Taye Francis when all she did was seek love and commitment from him.
‘Taye tricked her into his world. He lied to her from the very beginning. He lied about his age, his job and the fact he was a student at a local college.
‘He tried to manipulate and control Khloemae from the outset. He took her away from her family and friends and physically and emotionally abused her.
‘Even though Khloemae is no longer here with us she still exists. Taye has taken Khloemae’s life but in doing so he has also ruined ours. We cannot experience her love and happiness.’
Detective Sergeant Quinn Cutler said: ‘Taye Francis is a violent, controlling man who subjected Khloemae to constant aggression and abuse as a result of his own paranoia.
‘His horrific actions have robbed a family of a much-loved young woman who had her whole life ahead of her and our team were determined to get justice for her and those left bereft by her loss.’
Emma Currie, from the CPS, said: ‘Taye Francis was not only controlling, violent and angry – he was also utterly paranoid and walked around wearing a stab vest.
‘As a registered sex offender, he was convinced everyone knew about this and was out to get him.
‘Khloemae Loy was an innocent victim in this and tragically lost her life after being caught in a spiral of abuse at the hands of Francis.
‘The prosecution was able to present strong witness testimony from toxicology experts and a history of evidence detailing previous abusive incidents relating to Francis’ former partners as well as Khloemae.
‘The defence argued that Francis had suffered with a medical illness impairing his thinking and resulting actions, but the prosecution was able to prove to the jury that in fact Francis had become paranoid as a result of voluntarily taking anabolic steroids.
‘Domestic violence can have a devastating impact. The CPS is dedicated to bringing offenders to justice wherever possible.
‘Although nothing can bring Ms Loy back, I hope this conviction provides some sense of justice for her family and friends. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.’
Francis admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denied murder.
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