'Monster' jailed for murdering mother-of-three

Murderer Logan Burnett had previously admitted killing Courtney Mitchell

A "monster" who told a mother-of-three "I will kill you" before stabbing her to death in front of her friends has been jailed for life.

Logan Burnett, 27, will serve a minimum of 23 years and 173 days for murdering his ex-partner Courtney Mitchell, in Burrell Road, Ipswich, on 6 August, three days before her birthday.

Ms Mitchell, 26, was walking towards Ipswich skate park just after 19:00 BST when Burnett, of All Saints Road, Ipswich, chased her and inflicted multiple fatal stab wounds.

A statement from her family released after Monday's hearing at Ipswich Crown Court said: "Women are dying every day at the hands of men, but enough is enough and it is time we take a stand and fight back."

'Extremely dangerous'

The court was told Burnett, who also admitted two counts of being in possession of knives, "formed a plan to murder" Ms Mitchell and that the attack was "motivated by obsessive jealously" after she started a new relationship.

Delivering the sentence, Judge Martyn Levett said: "This was a personal execution of Courtney but, I ask, for what reason?

"She had every expectation of living many years ahead but you took that opportunity away by killing her.

"I am convinced you are an obsessive and jealous man who is at high risk of harming women with whom you are in close relationships with.

"You are an extremely dangerous person with warped ideas about killing others."

Courtney Mitchell was a mother to two sons and one daughter

During the hearing, prosecuting barrister, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, detailed how Ms Mitchell had spent the hours before her murder "drinking and enjoying" the company of her friends.

Later that evening the mother to two sons and one daughter was "hunted down" by Burnett, who was in possession of a kitchen knife and a smaller knife.

He then chased her as she tried to flee before pinning her up against fencing, punching her, and stabbing her with such force a blade on one of the knives was left "significantly bent".

Ms Mitchell was heard screaming and seen crouched down "trying to protect herself" as Burnett repeatedly stabbed her in a "cold and deliberate" manner.

The "caring" mother was also reportedly heard asking "am I going to die?" as Burnett fled the scene and discarded the knives and his green jumper nearby.

Ms Mitchell suffered "catastrophic blood loss" and was pronounced dead at 19:45 BST after being taken to hospital, Ms Karmy-Jones KC said.

Christopher Paxton KC, representing Burnett, said he did "not seek to diminish the seriousness of this offence, nor the tragedy arising" from it.

But, in mitigation, he cited Burnett's "long mental health history" and said his "guilty plea reflects his genuine remorse".

Burrell Road, in Ipswich, was cordoned off by police while officers carried out an investigation

The court was told Ms Mitchell met Burnett while she was having difficulties with drinking, drugs, and her mental health, but "when she was sober she wanted nothing to do with him".

Burnett also took drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine, and dealt them, and had 24 previous convictions for 52 offences - the first of which dated back to 2011 when he was just 14.

Before the attack Burnett, who showed no emotion during his sentencing, repeatedly threatened her and her friends and ransacked her apartment in Colchester.

He told Ms Mitchell he "would stab her if she talked to another boy", warned her that he knew where she lived, and told her friends "I am going to stab Courtney and kill her whole family" the day before killing her.

Burnett, who had been prohibited from communicating with Ms Mitchell or visiting her address, also bragged about how murdering her would make him "Facebook and news famous".

Ms Mitchell was attacked by Burnett while she was walking towards Ipswich Skate Park on 6 August

Ms Mitchell's family and friends, who all wore pale blue t-shirts with the young mother's face on them, were present throughout the hearing.

In court, her mother, Samantha Mitchell, said: "The day my little girl died my whole world shattered into a million pieces - no parent should have to bury their child.

"The connection I have to my children is unreal and my body tried to warn me that something was catastrophically wrong - I knew from my mother's instinct that Courtney was gone.

"I didn't want to process that someone had ripped my child away from me and I feel so traumatised by the fact she would have been so scared and I wasn't there. The day she died she took a piece of my heart with her."

She then turned to Burnett and said: "Why did you hurt my baby?"

She added: "Courtney will not be known as a girl who died at the hands of a monster."

Ms Mitchell's family, who all wore t-shirts with her face printed on them, were emotional outside Ipswich Crown Court as they paid tribute to her

Following Burnett's sentencing, Ms Mitchell's family spoke to reporters outside court.

In their joint statement, they added: "Even though we got some justice today for our daughter, it will not bring her back and no justice will ever be enough - my baby is gone forever.

"We have made a promise to Courtney to keep her memory alive and she will not just be remembered as another young woman who got murdered - she will not be another statistic.

"We vow to her to do everything in our power to raise awareness in her name [of domestic violence]. This is a national problem that needs to be taken seriously."

The statement added: "In the last six months of her life that monster ripped everything away from her, but Courtney will be remembered and he will rot away behind a cell and eventually be forgotten by society.

"She has left behind three beautiful children and she should be here to raise them, but we will do the best we can, but we as a family are now serving our own life sentence without her."