Toronto woman serving life sentence admits role in 2006 axe murder

For almost 19 years, Nicola Puddicombe has denied her responsibility in the murder of her boyfriend of 11 years, Dennis Hoy.

On Thursday, during week two of her faint hope hearing , Puddicombe, who is serving a life sentence after being found guilty of first degree murder in 2009, told a jury she is responsible.

Puddicombe testified Thursday that she told her then-lover Ashleigh Pechaluk to kill Hoy, her partner of 11 years. It is the first time she has publicly acknowledged her role in the murder.

On Friday, Dr. Anne Dimito, a psychologist at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, told the jury that Puddicombe admitted responsibility to her about a month ago. Dimito said Puddicombe told her, “I own that I told Ashleigh to do it,” but provided few other details.

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