HORRIFIC CRIME
Who was Cheryl Hooper and what happened to her?
Plus Cheryl's murderer's life in prison
CHERYL HOOPER was murdered in front of her teenage daughter in 2018.
The mother, who was 51-years-old at the time, was confronted by her estranged husband Andrew Cooper as she sat in her Land Rover outside her home before being killed.
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Who was Cheryl Hooper?
Cheryl Hooper was the estranged wife of farmer Andrew Hooper.
Her daughter Georgia Gabriel-Hooper was just 14-years-old when her mother died and lived with her mother in 2018.
Cheryl had moved out of Hooper's 400-acre farm in Guild Lane, near Newport, Shropshire, after ending their marriage.
What happened to Cheryl Hooper?
On the night of January 26, 2018, Cheryl spent an evening with friends before returning home.
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She was sitting outside her home in her Land Rover when her estranged husband Andrew, known as 'Jack' to his friends, turned up at her home brandishing a shotgun.
The former couple had an altercation earlier in the evening outside a pub in Wolverhampton, in which Andrew had exchanged words with a man in her group.
It is believed that Andrew had suspected Cheryl was having an affair and had fitted a tracker to her vehicle without her knowledge.
Cheryl's daughter Georgia has recounted how her mother screamed "Oh my god, he's here", shortly before she was shot.
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Hooper proceeded to smash Cheryl's car window open with his gun and fired two shots at her, one of which pierced her neck.
Georgia, who had travelled home in the car with her mum, could be heard screaming to neighbours "he's shot my mum".
Hooper fled the scene and later claimed he had only come over with the intent of frightening Cheryl into leaving the other man he believed she had started a relationship with.
He later turned the gun on himself in a botched suicide attempt which caused him serious facial damage.
As a result of the incident, he was left with significant, life changing injuries and was unable to speak at his trial, instead typing out his answers on a keypad in the court.
Footage of him admitting to the murder by using a board to communicate was featured in the 2023 ITVX documentary A Murder In The Family.
In 2019 he was sentenced to life imprisonment with the judge stating he would serve no less than 31 years.
Judge Mark Wall QC told him: "The sentence that I must pass on you is one that you richly deserve - life imprisonment.
"This was not a spur-of-the-moment killing, it was one that you had planned in the hours leading up to it. I am sure it was your intention to kill."
He added that Hooper had not expressed any remorse or regret after leaving a "horrific aftermath" when he fled the scene.
During Andrew's trial, jurors heard how the couple had been married for 18 months when Cheryl moved out because of Hooper's "controlling" behaviour.
She sent a string of chilling texts to a friend just months before her death, saying she was terrified of her husband.
One read: "Fearing your loved one is not right," while another said: "I feel fear when I go in the farmhouse.
"It was my home and now I feel scared of it."
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Did Cheryl Hooper have any children?
Cheryl had one daughter who, at the time of her mother's murder, was 14-years-old.
Georgia had to give evidence in court during the trial after witnessing her mother's murder on the doorstep of their own house.
She told how her stepdad had a "look of hatred" in his eyes before the brutal killing.
Mum was funny, beautiful and my best friend, the thought of her not being with me to share my life makes me very sad. I relied on her for everything - she was my world and I was hers. I love you mum.
Georgia Gabriel-Hooper
After Cooper was found guilty, she paid tribute to her mum and "best friend".
She said in a statement: "On 26 January 2018 my life got turned upside down.
"I never imagined my life without my mum. Mum and I were inseparable, we were a team and we did everything together.
"Mum was funny, beautiful and my best friend, the thought of her not being with me to share my life makes me very sad.
"I relied on her for everything - she was my world and I was hers. I love you mum."
Four years after Cheryl's death, Georgia - then 18 - shared her story with people on social media platforms to offer help to anyone dealing with domestic abuse.
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HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
How to watch Murder in the Family
Murder in the Family, which tells the story of Cheryl's murder, airs on Monday May 13, 2024.
The documentary will be available to watch on ITV at 10.55pm.
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