Sarah Henshaw: 'Monster' who killed ex-partner and dumped body jailed

Darren Hall killed 31-year-old Sarah Henshaw at her home

A man who murdered his ex-girlfriend during an argument and dumped her body in a lay-by near the M1 motorway has been jailed for a minimum of 17 years.

Darren Hall killed 31-year-old Sarah Henshaw at her home in Norman Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

Ms Henshaw's body was found six days after she went missing on 20 June.

Her grieving mum, Lorraine Henshaw, said Hall was a "monster" who disposed of her daughter's body like a "piece of rubbish".

At Derby Crown Court, Hall, 36, was jailed for life after he was found guilty of murder on Friday.

Hall drove her body 20 miles before dumping it in woodland near the lay-by on the westbound A617 near Chesterfield.

A two-week trial heard there was bruising on Ms Henshaw's neck, which was "about the width of a dressing gown cord".

'Series of lies'

Sentencing Hall on Tuesday, Mr Justice Goss said Ms Henshaw "was a loud, outgoing and fun-loving person with an infectious laugh".

He added: "The harm you have done and the suffering you have caused can never be undone by any sentence of this court."

Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said Hall told a "series of lies" against a "background of domestic abuse".

Defence KC Andrew Vout said Hall "deeply regretted and was very sorry for" dumping Ms Henshaw's body, describing the defendant's actions as "plainly very wrong".

Ms Henshaw was described as a "bubbly and mischievous" individual

Mr Justice Goss said Hall, of Rodney Way, Ilkeston, had "maintained the fiction" that he had not hurt Ms Henshaw.

He said: "Having heard all the evidence, I am satisfied that there were earlier occasions in your relationship where you were violent to Sarah Henshaw and bruised her.

"Whatever arose that caused you to be violent in the bedroom, you attacked her and, although it could not be established by pathological evidence, you almost certainly strangled her."

Hall said in his evidence that Ms Henshaw died after falling down the stairs but admitted moving her body and disposing of her possessions after he had "just panicked".

He trembled throughout the sentencing, appearing via video link from HMP Nottingham.

'Most evil crime'

Ms Henshaw's relatives, who packed the public gallery throughout the trial, described her as "bubbly and mischievous" in statements read to the court.

Her sister Kelsie Henshaw described Hall as a "cruel, selfish man" and said Ms Henshaw's death meant "the biggest piece of us is missing".

Ms Henshaw's mother added: "All Sarah ever wanted was stability and to settle down with a partner who loved her.

"To me, he [Darren Hall] is a monster who committed the most evil crime a person can do."

The jury was told that Hall and Ms Henshaw met in 2011 but had what the judge described as a "volatile" relationship, and had split up by the time of her death.

Ms Henshaw's body was partly decomposed by the time it was found in woodland in Chesterfield

The court heard Hall kept a key to her home, despite Ms Henshaw asking him to surrender it, and let himself in on 20 June while she was out before refusing to leave when she returned.

The prosecution admitted it could not say exactly how Ms Henshaw died, but that it was "at the hands of this defendant", who "callously dumped" her body.

Phone data showed Hall stopped in the lay-by for nine minutes.

Hall used Ms Henshaw's phone after her death to text friends to suggest she was still alive, before throwing it away.

In the days that followed, he disposed of her belongings, including her dressing gown and slippers, at a recycling centre and a skip, to pretend she had gone missing.

He also told the same story to police before his arrest on 23 June.