Man charged over mother-to-be death

12 April 2012

A man has been charged with the murder of pregnant Krystal Hart.

Unemployed Thomas Hughes, 40, of Stonells Road, south-west London, will appear in custody at Wimbledon magistrates' court on Tuesday.

Ms Hart, 22, died from two gunshot wounds to the head after an incident at her home in Belleville Road, Clapham, south London, on Friday.

The shooting of Ms Hart shocked the community in the smart Northcote Road area of Clapham.

Police and paramedics were called to her flat shortly after 11am, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination revealed that Ms Hart, who was around three months pregnant, died from two gunshot wounds to the head.

Hours after the murder, detectives took the unusual step of revealing that the killing may be linked to a neighbour row dating back "many months". Initially they said that the row might have involved a dispute over parking but this was later played down by police.

Hughes' home address in Stonells Road is a short distance from Ms Hart's flat in Belleville Road.

Ms Hart's mother, Deborah Penfold, said her daughter was "indescribable in every way", adding that her death left "a gap which will never be filled".

"No words can describe the depths of our despair at the sudden and tragic loss of a most precious and beautiful young woman," she said.

"Not only have I lost my daughter, but I've lost my grandchild in the senseless and tragic murder of a young woman in the prime of her life."

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