Jane Dawn Elizabeth Andrews (born 1 April 1967) is an English former royal dresser for

Sarah, Duchess of York Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959), also known by the nickname Fergie, is a member of the British royal family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the younger brother of King Charles III ...

, who was convicted at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

in 2001 of murdering her lover, Tom Cressman. She was released from prison in 2015.

Early life

Andrews was born in

Cleethorpes Cleethorpes () is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, England with a population of 38,372 in 2020. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th century, with fishing as its original industry, then develo ...

, Lincolnshire. Her father worked as a joiner and her mother as a

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

. As a child, Andrews was promising and intelligent, excelling in

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

. But because of the family's debt, they moved to a small townhouse in the nearby

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...

town of

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...

, where she attended Hereford Secondary School. Throughout her teenage years, Andrews struggled with various psychological problems including depression,

panic attacks Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...

, and an

eating disorder An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating d ...

. At the age of 15, she attempted suicide by overdose after her mother discovered her

truancy Truancy is any intentional, unjustified, unauthorised, or illegal absence from compulsory education. It is a deliberate absence by a student's own free will (though sometimes adults or parents will allow and/or ignore it) and usually does not refe ...

. Two years later, at age 17, she became pregnant and had an

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

, which she later stated was a traumatising experience. Andrews enrolled in a fashion course at the Grimsby College of Art, and afterward took a job designing children's clothes at

Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...

. At age 21, she answered an anonymous advertisement in ''The Lady'' magazine for a personal dresser. Six months later, she was interviewed by

; four days after that, Andrews began working for the Duchess at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. With a salary of £18,000 (equivalent to £42,000 in 2020), she lived a relatively opulent lifestyle and was able to purchase a new flat in

Battersea Park Battersea Park is a 200-acre (83-hectare) green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea and was opened in 1858. The park occupies marshland recla ...

. The occupation brought Andrews a higher status and a new circle of friends; she was reportedly involved with several men whom she met through her work.

Marriage and other relationships

In August 1990, after a short

courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

, Andrews married Christopher Dunn-Butler, an IBM executive twenty years her senior. The couple were divorced five years later; Andrews claimed that "pressures of work" led to the couple's split, although Dunn-Butler said that she was repeatedly unfaithful. Andrews did admit to infidelity, saying, "I had a couple of flings. I'm not proud of it." Following her divorce, Andrews met Dimitri Horne, the son of a Greek shipping magnate. When the two broke up acrimoniously, Andrews trashed the flat they shared and fell into a deep depression. She attempted suicide again by overdosing on drugs but survived without seeking medical treatment. During this time, it is alleged that the Duchess was having an affair with Tuscan

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient R ...

Count Gaddo della Gherardesca; he supposedly also had feelings for Andrews. Shortly after this alleged fling, Andrews was dismissed from her job as the Duchess's royal dresser. Some believe that this issue led directly to Andrews's termination, but officials at Buckingham Palace state there is no truth in this and that her dismissal was a result of cost-cutting.

New marriage prospect

In 1998, a mutual acquaintance introduced Andrews to Thomas Ashley Cressman (22 October 1960 – 18 September 2000), a former

stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stock ...

. Cressman ran a successful business selling car accessories and mixed in the upper echelons of London society. Because of her supposed financial hardships at the time, Andrews moved into Cressman's flat in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandswor ...

shortly into their relationship. She gained employment at Claridge's Hotel in October 1999 as a PR manager but was required to leave after only two months. For the next two years in the couple's relationship, Andrews made it obvious that she had pinned all her hopes on Cressman as her future husband and father of her children.

Murder

In September 2000, Andrews accompanied Cressman on a holiday to Italy and also to his family's villa on the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...

. She was reportedly expecting Cressman to propose marriage to her during their holiday, but instead, he told her that he had no intention of marrying her. After returning to the couple's Fulham flat on 17 September, they began to argue heatedly. Cressman called police to say that "somebody is going to get hurt", but no police came to his flat. Later that night, while Cressman was sleeping, Andrews hit him with a cricket bat and then stabbed him with a knife. Following the bloody attack, Andrews fled the scene. She contacted her ex-husband Christopher Dunn-Butler shortly after killing Cressman, then sent out text messages to friends inquiring about her lover's whereabouts and well-being. She claimed to have no involvement in Cressman's death and stated that he was being

blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

ed. Andrews was untraceable for days until police in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

found her overdosed in her car. She survived the suicide attempt and, after a police interrogation, Andrews was arrested and charged with Cressman's murder.

Trial and imprisonment

On 23 April 2001, Andrews went to trial at the

. Prosecutors stated that the motive for the killing was a woman scorned. Andrews, however, testified in her own

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

that Cressman had been

abusive Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

during their relationship, citing his alleged sexual obsessions and an incident two years earlier in which she had broken her arm while dancing, stating that Cressman had pushed her. She also claimed that she had suffered abuse during childhood which led her to kill. After twelve hours of

jury deliberation Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and reason as opposed to power-struggle, creativity, or dialogue. Group decisions are generally made after deliberation ...

, she was convicted of murder and sentenced to

life in prison Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...

. In 2001, the psychiatrist Trevor Turner diagnosed Andrews with

borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, distorted sense of self, and strong ...

and subsequently claimed in an ITV documentary that she was subject to coercive control by the deceased. Andrews initially served her sentence at HM Prison Bullwood Hall in Hockley, Essex and in November 2009, after having served nine years in custody, she escaped from the East Sutton Park Prison in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. After three days, she was captured in a hotel room with her family just six miles from the prison. She was ultimately not charged with absconding.

Release

Andrews had been considered for early release several times but was repeatedly adjudged to be a danger to the public. On 21 May 2015, it was nevertheless announced that Andrews would be released,Daily Telegraph 21 May 2015 and on 19 June she was released on licence, with a view to making the transition from prison to mainstream society in a probation hostel.ITV1 Fergie's Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story, broadcast on 3 March 2021 In 2018, her licence was revoked and she was recalled to prison, having been accused of harassing a former paramour. A police investigation found no evidence of the alleged harassment. Andrews was re-released from prison on 8 August 2019 initially on the condition she resided in a designated probation hostel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrews, Jane 1967 births Living people 20th-century English criminals Alumni of Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education British female murderers Criminals from Lincolnshire Date of birth missing (living people) English female criminals English people convicted of murder English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Escapees from England and Wales detention 2000 murders in the United Kingdom Murder in London People convicted of murder by England and Wales People with borderline personality disorder Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales People educated at Ormiston Maritime Academy 2000 in London