Plymouth 'murder': University pays poignant tribute to lecturer stabbed to death as man arrested

Claire Chick, described by friends arsenic "a beauteous woman", was allegedly murdered successful the thoroughfare successful West Hoe, Plymouth by Paul Butler, who was arrested connected Thursday aft a manhunt

A assemblage has paid an affectional tribute to 1 of its lecturers who was stabbed to decease connected a street.

Claire Chick, antecedently known arsenic Claire Butler, was discovered with superior injuries connected a thoroughfare successful West Hoe, Plymouth and, though she was taken to hospital, she aboriginal died connected Wednesday.

A manhunt was launched to find the suspect, aboriginal named by constabulary arsenic 53-year-old Paul Butler, who was yet arrested connected suspicion of execution much than 20 miles distant successful Liskeard, Cornwall.

Now, Claire's employer, University of Plymouth, has described the 48-year-old tutor's "humour and warmth". Paying tribute to the lecturer successful big nursing astatine the institution's School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Plymouth’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Davies said: "We person been shocked and saddened by the decease of a much-loved subordinate of our assemblage community."

He continued: "Having spoken with Claire’s colleagues, I cognize that her publication to Plymouth was important and profoundly felt – she was a respected nurse, lecturer, and idiosyncratic tutor, ensuring students were supported academically and pastorally. As Associate Head of School for International successful our School of Nursing and Midwifery, she was intimately progressive successful processing nursing programmes, students and academics successful Europe, Africa and Asia.

"As a colleague, Claire’s humour and warmth volition beryllium dearly missed by world and enactment staff. Pastoral enactment is successful spot for unit and students who knew Claire and person been affected by this tragic news, and further events are being organised to retrieve her. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Claire’s household and friends astatine this impossibly hard time."

Specially trained officers proceed to enactment the woman's family, Devon and Cornwall Police said. Neighbours successful West Hoe yesterday described the caregiver arsenic "a beauteous woman". She leaves down 2 children.

Claire’s household person released the pursuing tribute to her: “We are perfectly devastated and breached astatine the nonaccomplishment of our beauteous caring parent Claire Chick. She was the astir beauteous lively psyche and was determination for everyone.

“Everyone who knew our mum had truthful overmuch affirmative words to accidental astir her. She was the beingness and psyche of immoderate spot wherever she was. She loved to creation and sing adjacent though she was beauteous atrocious astatine it she had nary shame successful doing it successful beforehand of immoderate audience.

“We volition ne'er get implicit this arsenic a family, she was our glue and our go-to. We won't ever get the justness our mum deserves for this due to the fact that nary magnitude of justness volition bring her back.

“We privation to convey everyone for their benignant words, and we invitation anyone who knew her to stock their memories of her. We besides would similar to punctual the nationalist she leaves down 5 beauteous grandchildren who each notation to her arsenic "a favourite grandma". We inquire you respect their privacy, and everyone remains respectful to them. She whitethorn beryllium gone but her tone volition ever stay alive. We emotion you mum, and we committedness to marque you proud.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Rob Smith said: "We proceed to enactment Claire’s household astatine what is an highly atrocious clip for them. I would inquire for their privateness to beryllium respected and to let them the abstraction to grieve.

“While we proceed with our enquiries into the incident, I would impulse the nationalist not to speculate but to interaction america if they person immoderate applicable accusation which has not yet been shared with us. You tin bash this by reporting done our Major Incident Public Portal here: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/50DC24S33-PO1"