Woman jailed for Welwyn Garden City murder

A woman has been sentenced to life in prison, following a stabbing that occurred in Welwyn Garden City last year.

Tuche Coskun, aged 21, of Central Avenue, Enfield appeared at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 16 January), having been found guilty of murder following a trial on 14 November.

She was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering 42-year-old Gavin Hubbard at his own home.

On Friday 9 August, Coskun pleaded guilty to two counts of being in possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (one charge for cocaine and one for heroin).

In relation to the offences, she has been sentenced to 45 months for each charge, which will run concurrently.

The court heard that police were called to a disturbance at an address in Linkfield, Welwyn Garden City, just before 3am on Sunday 19 May. Colleagues from both the ambulance and the air ambulance service also attended.

Despite best efforts by the emergency services, 42-year-old Gavin Hubbard was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

During the trial, the jury heard that Coskun was at Gavin’s address, attempting to retrieve drugs which had been reportedly stolen from her earlier in the evening.

Coskun had armed herself with a large kitchen knife and stabbed victim Gavin Hubbard which caused 22 separate sharp injuries, one of which proved fatal.  She told the jury she acted in self-defence.

During the police investigation, a substantial amount of items were seized from Coskun and her address, these included a quantity of class A drugs, £764 in cash, an iPhone and other drug paraphernalia.

Coskun was also found not guilty of one charge of grievous bodily harm (GBH).

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Gavin’s mother Valerie said her son was ‘a pleasure to have in our lives. He was fun to be with and funny, affectionate and very loved.’ She told the court that he was ‘always helpful, kind and considerate especially with children, older people and animals.’

Following the sentencing, Valerie, she said: “Gavin faced a lot of tragedy in his life, after tragically witnessing his best friend die in a train accident and later in life Gavin’s wife died of cancer. These events affected him deeply and he looked to drugs to cope with his feelings. He was working so hard to turn his life around and I am very proud of him.

“I would like to say thank you for all the support I have received both from the police and the court.

“Gavin’s father has recently passed away and I hope now that they are both together in peace.”

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “Nothing is ever going to bring Gavin back, but I hope that his family are reassured that justice has been served and I would like to thank Gavin’s family and friends for their support of our investigation and their dignity throughout the trial process.

“Hertfordshire Constabulary will not tolerate the carrying of weapons of any type nor associated violence.

“Knife crime continues to be one of the constabulary’s priorities and we have been working with our partners in local government, schools, charities and other agencies around the county to update and progress Hertfordshire’s multi-agency Serious Violence Strategy.

“We also carry out regular knife amnesties, as part of the national Sceptre campaign, which also includes proactive enforcement activities such as hotspot patrols, deploying knife arches and detection wands, carrying out weapon sweeps in public areas and test purchasing operations at knife retailers.”

If you are concerned or have information about someone carrying knives or are aware of anyone involved in knife crime you can report this by calling the Hertfordshire Constabulary non-emergency number 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Young people or who are concerned about knife crime can get confidential advice by visiting www.fearless.org.

You can also report information online or speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form.

In an emergency, or if you believe someone to be in possession of a knife right now, always call 999.