Justice Awaits: Sentencing Day for Hubert “Isaac” Brown’s Killer Approaches

A woman has confessed to the killing of Hubert “Isaac” Brown in Bristol in 2023.

Christina Howell, 37, hailing from Easton, acknowledged manslaughter due to diminished responsibility during a session at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, December 20. This admission of guilt for manslaughter followed her earlier plea of not guilty to murder presented at a prior hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, November 22, 2024.

The Crown Prosecution Service formally accepted this plea earlier this month, January 2025. Howell is scheduled to receive her sentence at a hearing on Friday, February 7, and remains in a secure medical facility.

Isaac’s relatives are being kept updated by dedicated family liaison officers who continue to aid them throughout the judicial proceedings, in conjunction with the charity SARI (Stand Against Racism & Inequality).

Mr. Brown, aged 61, from Easton, succumbed to a stab wound after being assaulted on Grosvenor Road, St Paul’s, at approximately 3:20 PM on Friday, September 29, 2023. His passing is still regarded as a racially motivated crime by the Major Crime Investigation Team.

Howell was apprehended at the location by bystanders and was taken into custody at 3:30 PM that same day.

She faced court charged with murder on Monday, October 2, 2023, and was placed in custody. Since then, she has been held in a high-security hospital while awaiting psychiatric assessments regarding her ability to stand trial.

DI Nadine Partridge stated: “This has been a heartbreaking tragedy for Isaac’s family, with the unavoidable delays to the judicial proceedings stemming from Howell’s mental health issues compounding their distress.

“I am deeply moved by the grace they have exhibited in their grief and, along with the investigation team, am thankful for their support throughout this time, even as they faced a second Christmas without him. Our thoughts remain with them.”