Ailish Walsh: Man who murdered pregnant girlfriend with scissors jailed

Pregnant Ailish Walsh was stabbed more than 40 times in the attack

A roofer who murdered his pregnant girlfriend with a pair of scissors and a gym weight at their flat in east London has been jailed for life with a minimum 27-year term.

Liam Taylor, 37, stabbed Ailish Walsh, who was 22 weeks pregnant with a girl, more than 40 times and smashed her head with a dumbbell in December last year.

In April, he pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Walsh, who was 28.

The judge called the killing a "ferocious, brutal and savage" attack.

Taylor attended the Old Bailey sentencing hearing by video link from Belmarsh prison, claiming he felt too "unwell" to come in person. He failed to attend an earlier sentencing hearing in July, which was adjourned as a result.

Judge Nigel Lickley KC said Taylor had intended to "disfigure" Ms Walsh, a mother-of-four from Ireland.

Judge Lickley told Taylor it was a "case of domestic violence of the utmost seriousness", and the murder had involved elements of sadism.

The judge went on: "You betrayed her trust in that you murdered her in her own home."

He said the attack, in their flat in Rectory Road, Hackney, was both "sadistic" and "sexual" in nature, because the roofer targeted certain parts of the victim's body.

Ms Walsh's friends and family cheered and applauded in court as Taylor, who had his head in his hands, was sentenced.

Liam Taylor will serve at least 27 years in jail

The court heard that Taylor was upset that Ms Walsh was pregnant with a girl, because he had two girls and wanted a boy.

The Old Bailey heard that on the night Ms Walsh was murdered, a female friend had received a Whatsapp message from her saying she was trying to get Taylor out of the flat after catching him taking drugs.

The female friend later called Ms Walsh, hearing her "screaming" and Taylor's voice saying, "you can't do that to me".

Ms Walsh was later discovered covered in blood and unconscious in her bedroom by her father, the court heard.CCTV footage showed Taylor had left the flat after the attack and then gone to a pub for a drink.

The prosecutor said that, while at the pub, Taylor had used Ms Walsh's mobile phone to send messages pretending to be her.

Taylor, who had cocaine, cannabis and alcohol in his system, was arrested at his home the morning after the murder.

Matthew Perry, the ex-husband of Ms Walsh and father to three of her children, read a statement in court and said Taylor was "worse than a monster".

He said Taylor had "subjected the children to a lifetime of torture" and they were "scarred beyond belief".

Eamonn Goulding, Ms Walsh's brother, called Taylor a "nasty vile excuse for a human".

He said Ms Walsh's memory would "live on forever".

The court heard Taylor had previous convictions for attacking female members of his family, and was jailed for 12 months for assaulting his mother with a metal pole and cautioned for headbutting his sister when she was 16.

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