Born on March 12, 1956, in Hartlepool, Maria Pearson lived a turbulent life marked by instability, impulsivity, and failed relationships. By the time she was 30, she had already married twice and had two children.

In February 1986, she entered into a third marriage, this time bigamously, with Malcolm Pearson, with whom she had another child. Their relationship rapidly deteriorated and was described in court as “stormy and violent”, lasting just one month before they separated.

However, when Malcolm began a new relationship with 23-year-old Janet Newton, Maria’s behaviour turned obsessive and dangerous. Consumed by jealousy and resentment, she began stalking Janet, shouting abuse in the streets, and even sending hate mail to her victim’s mother.

Maria Pearson, from Hartlepool, became known for committing a serious crime in 1986. After her marriage to Malcolm Pearson ended shortly after they had a child, she became very angry and jealous when he started dating 23-year-old Janet Newton. Maria expressed her hostility by stalking Janet, yelling insults at her, and even sending hate mail to Janet's mother.

On the day of the murder, Maria attacked Janet with a sheath knife on Grange Road in Hartlepool. She stabbed Janet seventeen times, including two fatal stabs to the heart. The violence of the attack was so severe that the police first believed it might have been a vehicle accident when they arrived at the scene.

Maria Pearson was arrested and charged with murder soon after. In 1987, she was sentenced to life in prison. Following her conviction, she attempted to appeal it in 1988, claiming she was not guilty due to her mental state. Over the years, she changed her story to argue that she acted in self-defense because of post-natal depression and pre-menstrual tension. However, all her appeals were denied, including her attempts to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

In 2004, she was moved to an open prison, but due to her disruptive behavior, she was quickly moved back to a closed prison. Similar incidents occurred in 2021 when she was again sent back after showing poor behavior. Over the years, she tried to get released numerous times, but each attempt was rejected due to her ongoing aggressive actions and refusal to acknowledge her guilt. As of 2023, Maria Pearson was noted as the longest-serving female prisoner in the UK, having been refused parole nine times. The last rejection came after officials remarked on her inability to manage her behavior and her lack of remorse regarding her past actions.