A WOMAN from Prestatyn has been jailed for life after murdering her former partner at his flat in Macclesfield.
Aurin Makepeace, aged 43, of Tan Y Don, Prestatyn, was convicted of murdering 41-year-old Steven Rothwell following a trial at Chester Crown Court last month. On Friday, she was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 27 years behind bars.
The court heard that Makepeace and Rothwell had previously been in a relationship after first meeting in prison. Although the relationship had ended by around 2023, the pair had remained in contact and had both moved on to other partners.
On Friday, August 15, 2025, Makepeace travelled from North Wales to stay with Rothwell for several days at his flat in Cross Street, Macclesfield.
Three days later, on Monday, August 18, tensions escalated after one of Rothwell’s recent ex-partners told him during a phone call that she had slept with another man. Rothwell became angry and left the flat, confronting the woman in a nearby street. Makepeace was present during the row and slapped the woman across the face while also hurling abuse at her.
A motorist who saw the disturbance contacted police. An officer attended a short time later and spoke with Rothwell and his ex-partner at the flat, where Makepeace was also present. She was said to be highly agitated, repeatedly expressing anger towards the other woman.
Later that same evening, after police had left, Makepeace stabbed Rothwell once in the chest, fatally wounding him.
She stayed at the flat overnight before leaving the next morning. During the day on Tuesday, August 19, she contacted several friends and admitted what she had done. In one voice message, she said: “I’ve murdered my boyfriend.”
At 10:19pm that night, Makepeace called 999 using the name “Katie” and told the operator she had stabbed Rothwell and that he was dead. She falsely claimed she was still at the flat, when in fact she had already returned to a rural part of North Wales. During the call, she alleged Rothwell had attacked her and claimed she had acted in self-defence.
Police arrived at 1A Cross Street at 10:43pm and found Rothwell dead inside the flat. He had suffered a single stab wound to the chest, and a yellow blanket had been placed over his body.
Detectives said it was immediately clear from the scene, and later confirmed by medical evidence, that the fatal injury had not been inflicted shortly before the emergency call. No one else was found at the address.
An investigation was launched to identify the woman who had called herself “Katie”. Another woman and a man were initially arrested, but both were later released without charge. Detectives eventually traced Makepeace through extensive CCTV enquiries and mobile phone analysis, locating her in rural North Wales.
During police interviews, Makepeace claimed Rothwell had been arguing on the phone with the man involved with his ex-partner and had picked up a knife intending to attack him. She said she tried to stop him and that the knife had gone into his chest accidentally. She also claimed Rothwell was still alive when she left the flat, and that she had been too frightened and distressed to call an ambulance.
That account was rejected by the prosecution. Forensic pathologist Dr Medcalf told the court Rothwell would have died within ten minutes of the wound being inflicted, making Makepeace’s explanation highly unlikely.
The murder weapon was recovered from the flat. Forensic examination indicated it had probably been washed and placed back among other kitchen items. Rothwell’s blood was found on the blade, while Makepeace’s DNA was found on the handle.
The jury took less than two hours to unanimously find Makepeace guilty of murder.
Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Simon Mills said Makepeace’s explanation had never been credible.
He said detectives had proved she was lying about how the knife entered Rothwell’s chest, and had also shown that she remained at the flat overnight, contradicting her version of events.
He added that the jury had seen through her lies and delivered a unanimous verdict, and said he hoped the sentence would bring some measure of justice and closure to Rothwell’s family and friends.
