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Man, 38, charged with murder after woman, 46, killed in Dartmouth, Devon

Luke Rigby, 38, has been charged with murdering Rebecca Grass, 46, at a house in Dartmouth, Devon, on Tuesday night. Neighbours reported seeing someone with an axe, but police have not released details of the weapon.

2 outlets · 1L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Metro
Image: Daily Mail

1 / 2

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Rebecca Grass, 46, known to loved ones as Bex, was found dead at a property in Dartmouth, Devon, on Tuesday 6 October. Left · 1Devon and Cornwall Police said they were called to a house on Newcomen Road at 9.20pm and found Grass unresponsive, noting there had been a 'serious disturbance'. Left · 1A man in his 40s was taken to hospital with facial injuries, which police said were 'not believed to be life-changing'.

Mixed · 2Luke Rigby, 38, of Dartmouth, has been charged with Grass's murder and with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. Right · 1He also faces three further alleged offences: assault by beating, a racially aggravated public order offence and assault on an emergency worker. Mixed · 2Rigby remains in police custody and is due to appear before Plymouth Magistrates' Court on Saturday 10 October.

Mixed · 2Police have not released details of the weapon or a motive, but neighbours reported seeing someone 'with an axe' in the area that night, and a local business owner said the town was saying the victim had been hit with an axe. Both outlets call it alleged or put 'axe attack' in quotation marks. Mixed · 2There was a large emergency response by police, ambulance and fire services; residents described 'mayhem' and said they had never heard of anything like it in Dartmouth, and one said she was almost run over by police vehicles and a white van at around 9.45pm. Mixed · 2Grass's family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. Her son, Reece Romeril, set up a GoFundMe page for her funeral and wrote that he was told of her death by CID officers who came to his work on Wednesday morning.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Metro leads with the first picture of the victim and the murder charge, quoting locals' shock and the son's tribute.
Emphasis
Victim's naming, community shock, the son's fundraiser; includes police detail on the other man's injuries being 'not believed to be life-changing'.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not state the date of the court appearance beyond 'tomorrow'.
Charged language
“mayhem”
For example
“The incident prompted a major emergency response from police, ambulance, and fire services” — Metro
“Her son has set up a fundraiser for her funeral” — Metro

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
The Daily Mail leads with the murder charge in an 'alleged late-night axe attack' in a seaside town and the victim being pictured for the first time.
Emphasis
The charge, the axe reports and the son's tribute, with a longer quote from a resident about the police vehicles.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not give the police description of the other man's injuries as 'not believed to be life-changing' or the police's 'serious disturbance' wording.
Charged language
“axe attack”“mayhem”
For example
“A man has been charged with murder after a woman was killed in an alleged late-night axe attack in a seaside town.” — Daily Mail
“It was mayhem last night.” — Daily Mail