The High Court trial of Shawn Mussington, accused of fatally stabbing ex-partner Simone Whyte-Barrington in November 2020, is ongoing. Witnesses described Mussington’s fixation on the 45-year-old hairdresser, noting he had visited her salon twice before her death—once bringing lunch she refused and later being told to leave angrily.

Shortly after, Whyte-Barrington left the salon, and minutes later, reports emerged of her being stabbed at a Market Street gathering. A party attendee recalled failed attempts to stop her bleeding, while her former partner, a fire officer, found her slumped against a wall. Crime scene photos showed bloodstains and a knife nearby, but no forensic analysis was conducted.