Mum stabbed to death at her home in picturesque village as friends devastated

08 August 2023 , 10:28

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Kelli Bothwell died after she was stabbed in her property (Image: South Yorkshire Police / SWNS)

A mum has been stabbed to death at her home as devastated friends have paid tribute.

Kelli Bothwell, 53, was found at a £250,000 two-bedroom property in the pretty village of Sprotbrough in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire Police were called to the Grade 1 listed terraced property on Main Street on Saturday (August 5) at around 8pm. Kelli was found with stab wounds and a 52-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.

Several people have paid tribute to Kelli on social media, describing her as a 'beautiful lady'. One said: "Rest in peace Kelli - sending strength and love to your family and friends." One person posted on Facebook: "Tragic. RIP beautiful lady."

Police remain at the scene on Main Street in Sprotbrough, Doncaster (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)

Sprotbrough inspired Sir Walter Scott’s historical novel Ivanhoe, and the sleepy village was where the World War Two flying ace Douglas Bader spent his childhood. Locals told of their 'shock' of the stabbing and said they believed the cottage was rented out at the time of the killing.

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Dog walker Richard Mint has said he was shocked to find out about the stabbing and said that nothing like this has happened in the picturesque village before. He said: “It’s shocking, nothing like this ever happens around here.

“It’s the most that’s happened in the village for years. It’s really quiet around here but there’s quite a few rental properties now all over the village.

Police continue to appeal for anyone with information to come forward (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)

“That’s why nobody really knows who they are, because people move in and then move out six months later. The cottages were recently renovated though - they didn’t have the porch on before and apparently they’ve been done up on the inside.”

The cottage is believed to have rented out at the time of Kelli's death and locals said it had been recently renovated before the tenants moved in. In 2015, Kelli shared an article on Facebook and said she was struggling to find accommodation with her ex-soldier husband.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: "Formal identification took place yesterday (Monday 7 August), and an earlier post-mortem examination concluded that Kelli died as a result of a stab wound.

"Kelli’s family continue to ask that their privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time. If you have any information relating to this investigation, please report this via our website or by calling 101. The incident number to quote is 799 of 5 August."

Hannah Kane