Kayleigh Haywood murder: Man guilty of falsely imprisoning teenager

Stephen Beadman raped, murdered and falsely imprisoned Kayleigh Haywood

A man who murdered and raped a 15-year-old girl has been found guilty of falsely imprisoning her.

Stephen Beadman, 29, had previously admitted the murder and rape of Kayleigh Haywood in Leicestershire.

The jury is yet to reach a verdict on co-defendant Luke Harlow, 28, who admitted engaging in sexual activity with the teenager, but denied a false imprisonment charge, last year.

Jurors will resume deliberations on Harlow's charge on Tuesday.

Both men, of George Avenue, Ibstock, Leicestershire, are due to be sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court next week.

The jury deliberated for just under six hours to find Beadman guilty of false imprisonment.

Kayleigh Haywood's body was found in a field five days after she disappeared last November

Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire

Harlow, who is facing the same charge, has pleaded guilty to meeting Kayleigh following sexual grooming.

Her disappearance on 13 November prompted an outpouring of support from the community in her home village of Measham and the wider area.

The 15-year-old's body was found in a field outside Ibstock five days after she was last seen outside Ibstock Community College. An inquest heard she died from head and facial injuries.

The communities of Ibstock and Measham showed their support for Kayleigh's family with purple ribbons - her favourite colour

Kayleigh was kept prisoner at Harlow's home between about 21:00 BST on Saturday 14 November and 03:00 on 15 November, the prosecution told the court.

She and Harlow had been exchanging messages via social media.

The unemployed former media studies student has admitted attempting to meet two other 15-year-old girls for sexual purposes and had contacted a 13-year-old too.

On the evening of Friday 13 November, Harlow and Kayleigh met for the first time. He admitted sexually touching her after she had been drinking heavily.

Earlier in the trial, he denied Beadman's barrister's suggestion Kayleigh had escaped after she awoke to find he and Beadman arguing because Harlow had allegedly attempted to rape her while she slept.

Kayleigh Haywood, from Measham in Leicestershire, was found dead on 18 November 2015

In the early hours of Sunday Kayleigh was seen leaving the flat.

A witness said she was naked from the waist down and Beadman was pinning her to the ground.

Beadman, who pleaded guilty to her rape and murder, opted not to give evidence in the trial.

He told police he could not remember what had happened because he had been drinking but later confessed to first raping the teenager, then killing her with a brick.

He told officers: "When I drink I just switch. But when I switch I get violent."

The jury of six men and five women at Nottingham Crown Court unanimously agreed he had kept her prisoner but could not reach a verdict on which they all agreed on Harlow.

They will resume deliberations on Tuesday.

The pair are due to appear again at the same court on Friday to be sentenced.