"We all feel lost without her" - family of murdered Michelle Hanson pays tribute

The grieving family of Sunderland grandmother Michelle Hanson have paid tribute to their ‘kind and generous’ mum who had an ‘infectious smile and always saw the good in people’ as her killer was handed a life sentence

Fugitive Alexander Carr was jailed today, Friday, June 16.

After an evening of socialising together, Carr subjected Michelle to a violent and sustained attack in her flat in Brady Street in Pallion, on December 1 last year.

Carr, 33, stabbed the mother-of-five at least 29 times, before fleeing the scene and going into hiding. 

A murder investigation was subsequently launched and Carr soon became prime suspect after forensic evidence linked him to the scene.

Northumbria Police called in help from other forces after Carr went on the run and Michelle’s daughter Shannon Brown issued an emotional plea asking him to hand himself in.

More than two weeks after his disappearance, information was received that he had travelled to London from Lincolnshire and was hiding out in a tent near Upper Holloway Train Station.

Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police were deployed to the area and Carr was located and arrested 18 days after his disappearance.

'A vicous and mindless attack'

When he was found inside the tent, armed with a hunting knife, he was caught on body worn video captured by officers, asking “how did you find me?”

Today, Carr, of Wilfred Street, Sunderland appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, where he was handed a sentence of life imprisonment. He must serve a minimum term of 19 years and three months.

Shannon Brown read out a powerful victim impact statement in court which read: "My mam was taken in such a vicious and mindless attack. We believe that her last moments would have been spent in fear.

"To think she welcomed this evil person into her house as a friend is unbearable. He has taken advantage of a vulnerable, kind and loving woman.

"It is horrific to know he towered over her in both height and strength and my mam was defenceless. This is something we must all try and live with.

'Kind and caring woman with a huge heart'

"Carr stole the last moments I should have had with my mam and I couldn’t say goodbye and never got tell her how much we all loved her. His cowardly actions of running away meant I had to wait over three weeks before I could see my mam in the chapel of rest and I wasn’t able to touch her face or kiss her cheek.

"My mam was a kind and caring woman with a huge heart. She had an infectious smile, a brilliant sense of humour. She was a character and was always vulnerable to people taking advantage of her. But she would never hurt anyone and always saw the good in people.

"We all feel lost without her. I would speak to her regularly, she was the first person I’d turn to if I was happy, sad or angry. She was my best friend. She was my rock."

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr of Northumbria Police, said: "This has been a horrific ordeal for Michelle’s family and I hope today can help them as they begin to move on with their lives and accept her tragic loss.

"They have shown real courage and strength since this investigation was launched and I want to thank them for all they have done to help us put Carr behind bars for his vile actions.

"Carr has shown no remorse and has never provided an explanation for why he murdered Michelle – a woman who invited him into her home as a friend.

"He killed her in her own home and then fled thinking we would never catch him. This is evident in the way he speaks to us during his arrest, genuinely shocked that the law had caught up with him.

"Carr’s conviction and sentence shows that violence will never go unpunished and that dangerous people like Carr do not have a place in our communities.

"Michelle had a family and thanks to Carr they now have to live their lives without her and it is only right he now serves a lengthy sentence.

"I’d like to thank everyone who helped us bring Carr to justice for their efforts. From the officers and staff here in Northumbria, to the public who helped with our appeal, as well as our colleagues across the country, including the Metropolitan Police Service and criminal justice teams."