On a cold morning in mid-November, a quiet street in Cefn Fforest, Gwent, was shattered by a tragedy that has left a community reeling and a family in mourning. Seventeen-year-old Lainie Williams, described by those who knew her as creative, caring, and full of life, was stabbed to death in her home on Wheatley Place. The events of November 13, 2025, have since unfolded in courts and inquests, painting a harrowing picture of loss, resilience, and the search for answers.
According to BBC News and multiple local sources, the incident occurred around 7:15 a.m. Lainie’s mother, Rhian Stephens, 38, made a desperate 999 call as the attack unfolded. "On November 13, 2025, Rhian Stephens, Lainie’s mother, called 999 reporting that her daughter was being stabbed," area coroner for Gwent, Rose Farmer, stated during the inquest opening. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but despite their efforts, Lainie was pronounced dead at the house by paramedics. Her mother, who had also sustained serious injuries in the attack, was taken to hospital and has since been released.
The provisional cause of death, as determined by a Home Office consultant forensic pathologist at University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, was "multiple sharp force injuries." This detail was confirmed in the inquest, which was formally opened at Gwent Coroner’s Court on December 2, 2025, and adjourned until August 24, 2026, to allow for ongoing criminal proceedings and further inquiries (Nation.Cymru, South Wales Argus).
The accused, Cameron Cheng, 18, of Newbridge, Gwent, has been charged with the murder of Lainie, the attempted murder of her mother, and possession of a bladed article. Cheng, who was once Lainie’s boyfriend, appeared in court on November 18 and was remanded in custody. He faces a three-week trial at Cardiff Crown Court, scheduled for May 2026, where he will formally enter his pleas (Daily Mail, The Sun).
In the immediate aftermath, the family’s grief has been palpable. Lainie’s mother, Rhian, paid an emotional tribute to her daughter, calling her “my most prized possession” and expressing the profound sense of loss she feels every day. “I’m still coming to terms with the tragic loss of my beautiful girl Lainie Lea Louise. I knew you better than most and the memories we share will always be able to replay in my head like my personal home video,” Rhian wrote. She recalled the simple, loving rituals they shared—watching horror movies together, exchanging goodnight kisses, and the comfort of nightly hugs. “I miss you more every single day, I just want you back. I lost my most prized possession, you!” she said in a statement reported by The Sun and Daily Mail.
Lainie’s uncle, Adrian Stephens, also spoke movingly about his niece: “She was just artistic and her brain just worked in fantastic ways compared to anyone I’d ever met. She was just a rainbow, and that’s all I can say about her really. Everyone’s going to miss her terribly. I don’t think there’s any words for it really. We’re all just numb at the minute. Everything is still fresh.”
Adding to the heartbreak, Lainie’s great-grandmother, Florence Jones, 78, described her shock, saying, “I’m in total shock, she was a lovely bubbly girl. She lived with me for the last few years, I can’t believe what’s happened. Things like this don’t happen in our family.” During the attack, Lainie’s eight-year-old brother reportedly hid under his bed, terrified by the chaos and his sister’s screams (The Sun).
The inquest, presided over by Coroner Rose Farmer, confirmed that Lainie’s death was being treated as a violent death and that her mother had identified her body on November 13. Farmer emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation, noting, “An inquest is being opened as this is a violent death.” No members of the family attended the inquest hearing, and details of the criminal investigation were not disclosed at this early stage.
The community has rallied around the grieving family, setting up a GoFundMe campaign to help support them as they navigate this unimaginable loss. The family home, once a place of comfort and memories, has become a crime scene, compounding the trauma for those left behind. “Both your brother and myself are left with nothing but the clothes on our backs,” Rhian wrote, highlighting the upheaval and dislocation the family now faces.
Lainie’s life, though tragically cut short, was marked by warmth, kindness, and creativity. Her mother described her as someone who didn’t “have a nasty bone in her body,” and who was always there for her family and friends. “She was the littlest girl with the biggest heart in the world and she was caring, creative, funny. She loved her family, she used to come and kiss me every night and wrap her arms around me. She was so caring, she loved everybody—she had all the kindness in the world.”
As the legal process continues, with Cheng’s trial set for May 2026, the inquest has been adjourned until August 24, 2026. The adjournment allows for the criminal proceedings to take their course and for investigators to complete their inquiries. While the wheels of justice turn, the pain for Lainie’s family and friends remains acute, their lives forever changed by the events of that November morning.
For now, the community of Cefn Fforest and the wider Gwent area are left to grapple with the aftermath of a senseless act of violence. Lainie Williams’s memory endures in the stories and tributes shared by those who loved her, and in the determination of her family to seek justice and healing, however long that journey may take.
