A MUM-of-four was stabbed to death in what police believe may have been a murder-suicide.

Julie Sudlow’s body was discovered in a house in Maralyn Avenue, Waterlooville, near Portsmouth, on Friday night, just hours after a man was killed by a train in Winchester.

The 41-year-old, who lived in Berry Croft, Abingdon, had suffered two stab wounds.

Police in Hampshire said last night they were treating her death as murder and were connecting it to the death of the man in Winchester. They are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death.

Hampshire Constabulary spokesman Lucy Dibdin said Mrs Sudlow and the man — who had not been identified yesterday — knew each other.

Miss Dibdin said Mrs Sudlow was a mother of four, separated from her husband and unemployed.

She said her family had been left extremely distressed by what had happened.

She added: “A formal identification was made by her family at lunchtime Sunday and family liaison officers are with them.

“Mrs Sudlow’s body was found shortly after 10pm on Friday by police officers attending an address in Maralyn Avenue, Waterlooville.

“A post-mortem conducted by a Home Office pathologist at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester on Saturday afternoon found that she died as a result of two stab wounds.

“Police are linking the incident with the death of a man who is believed to have jumped in front of a train at Winchester train station at 5.30pm on Friday afternoon.

“As a result detectives are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.

“Inquiries are on-going, but it’s believed the deceased were known to each other.”

Miss Dibdin added: “We can confirm the death of Mrs Sudlow is a murder investigation.”

A neighbour of Mrs Sudlow in Berry Croft said she had lived in the street for at least 10 years.

Yesterday the house in Maralyn Avenue and a neighbouring property which shares an alleyway remained cordoned off by police.

Neighbours there said a man had moved into the property recently but they had not seen much of him.

Det Insp Phil Bateman, of Hampshire police’s major crime department, said “Our enquiries are centring on the address in Maralyn Avenue, the relationship between the two dead people and the circumstances leading to the discovery of Mrs Sudlow’s body on Friday evening.

“We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident and are preparing a file on behalf of the coroner.”