Ashley Wadsworth was due to return home this week
A Canadian teenager who fly to the UK to reportedly meet her new boyfriend was stabbed to death just days before she was to return home.
Jack Sepple is due to appear in the Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday charged with her murder.
The 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene, a block of flats in Chelmsford, Essex at about 4pm on Wednesday. Police formally charged him early Thursday.
Ashley Wadsworth was pronounced dead at an address on Tennyson Road, despite paramedics rushing to save the 19-year-old after concerned neighbours called police.
No one else is being sought in connection with her death and police have asked anyone that has CCTV footage that can help the investigation to come forward.
Wadsworth, from Vernon, Canada, had travelled to England on November 12 to visit Sepple, the Mirror reported.
During her trip, Wadsworth visited dozens of tourist hotspots including Buckingham Palace and Big Ben in London, the publisher said. She was also said to have joined Sepple’s family for a trip to the historic town of Rye in East Sussex.
The teenager’s friends and family have posted tributes to her on Facebook.
Larissa Kontos, a friend of Ashley’s sister, described her as a “beautiful loving soul” and said Wadsworth had a ticket booked to return to Canada on Thursday.
“You will never be forgotten my girly. And I’ll miss you so much,” she added.
Ashley’s aunt, Rosie Turcotte, wrote: “I am so angry, sad and f **ing mad.
“Want to say so much right now, but mama always said if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”
She added: “Another special angel gone way too soon.”
Tianna Kowalchuk wrote: “Probably one of the worst feelings is losing your best friend.
“A best friend is more than a boyfriend, a sibling, and even a parent. A best friend is someone you can genuinely tell everything to. It’s someone you can tell about stuff that you may not even be able to tell your parents. It’s someone who will never judge you for needing to vent or rant about something that is bothering you. It’s someone you always feel comfortable around. “I’m sorry there wasn’t more I or anyone else could do to help you. But God has you in his hands now, we have you in our hearts forever.”
Detective Chief Inspector Scott Egerton, the senior investigating officer on the case, said in a statement: “I know that incidents like this will shock and sadden the community, but our initial enquiries show this to be an isolated incident and that there is no wider risk to the community.”
Wadsworth’s family is being supported by specialist officers, Egerton said.
Anyone that can assist police with the investigation is asked to submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk or use the “Live Chat” button to speak to an online operator between 7am-11pm, quoting the crime incident number 717 of 1 February. You can also call us on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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