A dad murdered a vulnerable woman and dumped her in a canal with the help of his daughter, who weighed her body down with paving slabs.

John Anslow, 65, and his daughter Hayley-Marie Ferguson, 42, have been found guilty of the death of Chereiss Bailey.

On October 7, the body of 36-year-old Chereiss was discovered in a canal near Ryders Green Road, submerged in the water with a washing line cord attached to paving slabs.

Police launched an immediate investigation and went to the home of Ferguson on Heronville Road, West Bromwich. Officers found suspected blood-stained clothing in a wheelie bin, and Ferguson was arrested.

Following comments made by Ferguson while in custody, her father Anslow was also arrested.

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Detectives trawled through hours of CCTV and identified Chereiss entering Anslow’s home on September 27 after meeting him on Great Bridge Street.

While inside the property, she was subjected to a traumatic assault which led to her death. The following morning, Anslow cancelled visits from his community carers and called his daughter for help.

She packed paving slabs and travelled by taxi to her father’s home, claiming she was helping him with gardening.

Ferguson later returned home before attending a Peaky Blinders-themed event that evening. But in the early hours of September 29, she took another taxi back to Anslow’s address and helped cover up Chereiss’ murder, the court heard.

Footage recovered from CCTV and images found on Ferguson’s phone showed Chereiss’ body being wheeled from the house in Anslow’s distinctive wheelchair with bright orange wheels.

Anslow pushed the wheelchair while Ferguson walked beside him towards Ryders Green Road. The pair then dumped Chereiss’ body in the canal.

Afterwards they travelled home separately, with Anslow back in his wheelchair and Ferguson walking unaided. Anslow, of Stour Street, West Bromwich, was charged with murder and preventing a lawful burial.

Ferguson, of Heronville Road, West Bromwich, was charged with assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial. Anslow pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of Chereiss’ body.

Both were found guilty of the offences following a three-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Paying tribute, Chereiss’ devastated family said: ‘Chereiss was a much-loved daughter, sister, mother, auntie, granddaughter and friend, but those words alone could never explain what she meant to us.

‘She had a huge personality, a beautiful heart and a way of making her presence known wherever she went. Life was never quiet when Chereiss was around, and we would give absolutely anything to have that noise back.

‘The hardest part is knowing how much life she still had left to live. There should have been more birthdays, more Christmases, more laughter, more family memories and so many ordinary days that we never imagined we would have to live without her.

‘Most heartbreaking of all, her little boy has been robbed of growing up with his mum beside him. We will make sure he grows up knowing exactly who she was, how much she adored him and how fiercely she was loved.’

Detective Inspector Michelle Cordell, from West Midlands Police Homicide Unit, said: ‘Chereiss was a vulnerable young woman with her whole life ahead of her.

‘She was a mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, auntie and niece and was deeply loved by them all. It is difficult to comprehend the abhorrent actions of John Anslow and his daughter, Hayley Ferguson, in late September last year.

‘Anslow had presented himself as a vulnerable wheelchair user with extremely limited mobility. He was in fact a violent predator. His daughter Hayley had also presented as having limited mobility, evidence of which proves otherwise. Chereiss was killed in John Anslow’s home, and we may never know what motivated him to commit such an awful attack on a woman.’

‘I hope today’s verdict provides some comfort to Chereiss’ family who have acted with incredible dignity and restraint throughout this difficult process, and who continue to grieve her loss.’

Anslow and Ferguson will be sentenced at a later date.

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