Paul Charlton collapses after being found guilty of murdering girlfriend Joanne Howell

The live-in boyfriend of a Victorian woman found dead in her home more than 15 years ago has been rushed to hospital after a jury found him guilty of murder.

Paul Ross Charlton, 68, had been facing trial in the Victorian Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to murdering Joanne Howell, 52, on April 21, 2007.

After a day-and-a-half, the jury returned to the courtroom on Thursday afternoon, finding Charlton guilty of her murder.

An ambulance was called after Charlton collapsed in the dock following the verdict. 

Paul Ross Charlton (pictured), the boyfriend of Victorian woman Joanne Howell who was found dead in her home more than 15 years ago has been found guilty of her murder

The court had heard the alarm was first raised at 11.20pm by Charlton who called police saying he’d found Joanne Howell’s body at the bottom of the stairs in her Hughesdale home after returning from a walk with their dog, Bundy (pictured: Joanne Howell)

The court had heard the alarm was first raised at 11.20pm by Charlton who called police saying he’d found Ms Howell’s body at the bottom of the stairs in her Hughesdale home after returning from a walk with their dog, Bundy.

She died from a violent blunt force impact to the back of her head, with forensic investigators later finding evidence she had been strangled before or after the injury – while she was still alive.

The case was investigated at the time but no charges were laid, that is until police reopened the probe in 2021.

The jury heard in the days leading up to Ms Howell’s death, she told friends she wanted Charlton out of her home and out of her life.

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The pair had met through a mutual friend in mid-2006 and by the end of the year began living together at Ms Howell’s unit in Melbourne’s southeast.

At the time of her death, arguments between the couple had escalated, with Ms Howell telling friends he’d been an ‘absolute p***k’.

The jury heard in the days leading up to Ms Howell’s death, she told friends she wanted Charlton out of her home and out of her life

Prosecutors, led by crown prosecutor Patrick Bourke KC, argued Ms Howell gave Charlton 30 days to move out but he didn’t want to leave, instead killing Ms Howell after another one of their fights.

‘We say we can exclude, on the evidence, that while Mr Charlton was absent from the house someone else broke in and murdered her in the time he was gone,’ he said.

‘We say Mr Charlton has a motive. The relationship is doomed, it’s over, he’s been given his marching orders.’

Charlton’s barrister, Megan Tittensor SC, had told the jury there was no dispute Ms Howell was murdered, but argued her client did not kill Ms Howell nor did he know who did so.

Ms Tittensor had argued police had ‘taken the easy option’ and charged the boyfriend, when there were other suspects they should have looked at.

‘Did police ever seriously investigate the possibility that someone other than Mr Charlton could have killed Joanne?,’ she questioned.

She told the jury that while there was no dispute the pair were arguing in the lead up to her death, Chalton believed the relationship could be repaired – as it had in the past.

He will return before court at a later date.