Domestic abuser guilty of murdering her partner

14 January 2026

Lewis AdamsEssex

Polly Murphy inflicted a "sustained campaign of abuse" upon her victim, police said

Essex Police Polly Murphy has a silver nose ring and messy pink hair. She is wearing a grey sweater in this picture taken in police custody. — Polly Murphy inflicted a "sustained campaign of abuse" upon her victim, police said

A domestic abuser has been found guilty of murdering her partner in a hotel room.

James Self, 47, died six weeks after Polly Murphy attacked him in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, on 8 November 2023.

Essex Police said Murphy had inflicted a "sustained campaign of abuse" upon Self and was "increasingly volatile" in the weeks leading up to the murder.

Murphy, 42, of Hornsey Lane Gardens in Highgate, London, will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on 4 February.

She was found guilty on Tuesday after a four-week trial at the same court.

After the jury delivered its verdict, Self's mother, Ashe, said: "Like so many men, James was embarrassed by the control and violence being inflicted on him.

"Sadly, he would never come forward to seek help."

James Self was described as gentle and kind by his mother

Family handout James Self has brown hair, a beard and is wearing a brown jacket. He is standing by a bridge and smiling. — James Self was described as gentle and kind by his mother

Self, who was also from London, suffered multiple serious injuries during the attack at the hotel in Hartley Brook Road.

He died in hospital on 21 December 2023.

Text messages shown to the jury displayed the extent of Murphy's attempt to control her partner, Essex Police said.

He also had injuries that dated back to previous assaults by Murphy prior to the fatal attack.

Ashe Self said she had watched her son change from being a "sociable, happy person to a sad, uncertain and withdrawn one".

She continued: "Knowing James as I do so well, I realise he would not have fully understood the violence or how to deal with it.

"He thought loving her would be enough. James, as always, believed in the good in people.

"His kindness may have cost him his life."

Det Anthony Kopf, who led the investigation into Murphy, said the family conducted themselves with dignity in the face of "the most challenging evidence".

He added: "This case serves as a reminder that domestic abuse can affect anyone, including men."