A man has been given a life sentence for the brutal murder of his cousin using an axe in her residence. The police referred to the shocking incident, where 49-year-old Donald Excell fatally attacked 58-year-old Rita Lambourne, as an extremely distressing case.

Rita Lambourne was murdered in her Bexhill, East Sussex home on February 12, 2025, right after Excell was captured on CCTV approaching her residence during the late hours carrying an axe. During the trial in December, it was revealed that Excell struck her at least four times with such intensity that the blade penetrated her heart. Shortly after the attack, Excell exited the property casually. He has now been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 31 years.

At the time of the assault, Ms. Lambourne was on the phone with her partner, who promptly alerted family members to check on her. Her sister, Claire Haldane, rushed to find Ms. Lambourne lying in her living room and began CPR.

Excell, residing on Seabourne Road, Bexhill, had denied charges of murder and possession of a bladed article but was unanimously convicted at Hove Crown Court in December.

During the trial, it was disclosed that there had been a falling out between Ms. Lambourne and Excell in 2022, after Excell alleged the existence of a family paedophile ring that Ms. Lambourne supposedly concealed.

Lucie Lambourne, Rita Lambourne’s daughter, described how Excell instilled fear in her mother when he became enraged, accusing her of unfounded accusations. Claire Haldane testified that Ms. Lambourne felt scared and terrified but refused to show her fear to Excell.

The police investigation into the murder faced challenges when the murder weapon could not be located. However, the case took a turn when teenage boys discovered a rucksack containing clothing and an axe sheath while fishing at a lake north of Bexhill. Two weeks later, police divers recovered the axe during a search of the lake.

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Campbell, speaking after the guilty verdict, expressed the distress caused by the case to Rita’s family, friends, and the wider community, hoping that the verdict would bring some closure to those who cared for Rita.