“Family is power” – the phrase boldly tattooed across Hayley-Marie Ferguson’s back, featuring imagery inspired by the television series Peaky Blinders, has become a haunting emblem in a tragic West Midlands murder case. Ferguson, aged 42, was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court for assisting her father, John Anslow, in dumping the body of 36-year-old Chereiss Bailey in the Walsall Canal.
The case involves the brutal killing of Ms Bailey, a woman described by the prosecution as leading a chaotic lifestyle including sex work, whose lifeless body was hidden underwater with paving slabs to prevent discovery. The crime shocked the region and revealed dark and disturbing details.
Ferguson’s behaviour throughout the trial drew attention in its own right. On the first day, she arrived at court clad in a striking pink outfit, showing visible fear upon seeing her father, who was brought in by custody officers in a wheelchair. However, the following day she failed to appear, prompting a warrant for her arrest. She was located at her home where her lawyer explained she was awaiting spinal surgery due to severe pain.
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Upon her return to court, Ferguson was searched publicly before being remanded in custody for the duration of the trial. Throughout proceedings, the harrowing facts emerged: Anslow, who feigned severe disability but had a prior conviction for sexual offences, had murdered Ms Bailey in his home, leaving her with extensive injuries including a broken face and multiple bruises.
The morning after the murder, Ferguson arrived at her father’s residence carrying paving slabs from her own home. It is believed she assisted in cleaning the scene before leaving to attend a Peaky Blinders themed event in Coventry that evening, where she posted images of herself in costume on social media. Disturbingly, she also searched online for information regarding bite marks on submerged bodies.
In the early hours of 29 September, father and daughter transported Ms Bailey’s body, clothed differently and placed in Anslow’s wheelchair, to the Walsall Canal near Ryders Green Road, where they submerged it using the paving slabs to weigh it down. Photographs on Ferguson’s social media profile, where she identifies as a full-time mother of five and works at Greggs, reveal a fixation on the series, including a detailed tattoo of Thomas Shelby’s face and related imagery.
During the trial, Ferguson gave evidence behind a screen, claiming she acted out of fear for her and her children’s safety due to threats from her father. She stated she believed she was simply helping her father’s intoxicated friend, only realising the true situation moments before the body was submerged.
However, under rigorous questioning by the defence barrister, Gurdeep Garcha KC, Ferguson’s statements were challenged, with claims that she was deceptive and performed emotional displays to gain sympathy. The barrister questioned inconsistencies in her testimony, her conduct during court proceedings, and revealed how she initially blamed others for Ms Bailey’s death, leading to wrongful arrests.
Ferguson, of Heronville Road, West Bromwich, was found guilty of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful and decent burial. Anslow admitted the latter charge but was also convicted of murder. Sentencing for both is pending.
This tragic case underscores the devastating consequences of violence and deception within a family, contrasted starkly against the backdrop of social media personas and popular culture obsessions.