An ITV documentary re-examines the story of the former royal dresser who was convicted of murdering her boyfriend Tom Cressman in 2001 – but where is Jane Andrews now?
Fergie’s Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story airs on Wednesday (March 03 2021) at 9pm on ITV1.
Jane was convicted in 2001 but this new documentary asks if it was a case of manslaughter and not murder?
Here’s everything you need to know!
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Who is Jane Andrews?
Jane Andrews was the former dresser to Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
After a troubled childhood – depression, panic attacks, eating disorders, unwanted pregnancies and suicide attempts – she enrolled in a fashion course.
She joined Marks & Spencer as a children’s clothes designer.
Then, when she was just 21 years old, she answered an anonymous advertisement in The Lady for a personal dresser.
Six months later, she was interviewed by Sarah, Duchess of York, and got the job at Buckingham Palace as her dresser.
However, after nine years of employment, Jane was dismissed from her job.
Some reports say Fergie sacked Jane because she was having an affair with Tuscan aristocrat Count Gaddo della Gherardesca, who supposedly also had feelings for Jane.
Officials at Buckingham Palace state there is no truth in this and that Jane’s dismissal was a result of cost-cutting.
Who was Thomas Cressman?
In 1998, Jane met millionaire Thomas Ashley Cressman, a former stockbroker.
He ran a successful business selling car accessories and mixed with the elite of London society.
Jane moved into his flat in Fulham and gained employment at Claridge’s Hotel in October 1999 as a PR manager, but was required to leave after only two months.
The couple dated for two years.
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Why and when did Jane Andrews kill Thomas Cressman?
In September 2000, Jane and Thomas went on holiday to Italy and also to visit his family’s villa on the French Riviera.
Reports say Jane was expecting Thomas to propose.
Instead, he told her he had no intention of marrying her.
When they returned to the couple’s Fulham flat on September 17, they argued.
Thomas called police to say that “somebody is going to get hurt”, but no police came.
Later that night, Jane hit Thomas with a cricket bat and then stabbed him with a knife.
She fled the scene, leaving her bloodied boyfriend to die.
Jane Andrews denial
After fleeing her Fulham flat, Jane sent text messages to friends inquiring about Thomas’ whereabouts.
She claimed to have no involvement in his death and claimed he was being blackmailed.
Jane was untraceable for days until police in Cornwall found her overdosed in her car.
She survived her suicide attempt and, after a police interrogation, was arrested and charged with murder.
When was she convicted?
On April 23 2001, Jane went to trial at the Old Bailey and was described by prosecutors as “the woman scorned”.
Jane, however, testified in her own defence that Thomas had been abusive to her during their relationship.
She described his sexual obsessions, and claimed he’d once broken her arm.
Jane also claimed she’d suffered sexual abuse during her childhood which led her to kill.
However, after 12 hours of deliberation by the jury, Jane was convicted of murder and sentenced to serve a minimum of 12 years of a life sentence.
Jurors rejected her claims that Mr Cressman, 39 at the time of this death, had raped her and that she woke to find him hitting her.
In November 2009, after serving nine years in custody, Jane escaped from the East Sutton Park Prison in Kent.
Three days later, she was captured in a hotel room with her family just six miles from the prison.
She was ultimately not charged with absconding and returned to jail.
Where is Jane Andrews now? How old is she?
Jane was released on licence on June 19 2015, after serving 14 years in jail.
In 2018, she was jailed again, after being accused of harassing a former paramour.
She was released from prison again on August 08 2019 and subsequently resided in a bail hostel.
She is currently 53 years old and lives back in her hometown in Lincolnshire.
In 2020, she was pictured stacking shelves in Morrison’s.
What else has Jane been accused of?
It has been alleged that Jane Andrews stole approximately £250,000 worth of jewels from the Duchess’ suitcases in 1995.
These allegations have never been proven.
Fergie’s Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story on ITV1
This new documentary in ITV’s Crime And Punishment strand explores the crime committed by Jane Andrews.
Jim Dickie, former Detective Chief Inspector of the Met, says: “There are only two people who really know what happened in that bedroom, and one of them is dead.”
The ITV documentary asks whether Jane would still be convicted today.
ITV says: “After Britain’s first murder conviction was overturned on the grounds of domestic violence in the case of Sally Challen, this film sets out to tell the definitive story of Andrews’ rise and fall.
“It asks whether the courts would have dealt with the case in the same way had it happened now.”
The documentary features an interview with defence psychiatrist Trevor Turner, who goes on record for the first time to argue that Jane was suffering from a form of PTSD because of the alleged abuse from her lover.
ITV added: “The film explores whether his claim is right, or if lead investigator Jim Dickie is correct when he says: ‘She is a cold-blooded murderer. Any man who gets into a relationship with her needs his head tested.'”
Meanwhile, Thomas’ brother Rick Cressman says: “She never once said sorry for what she did, she’s just tried to get out of what she has done, [in] any way she could.”
Fergie’s Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story airs on Wednesday March 03 2021 at 9pm on ITV1.
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