Charlotte Murray: Johnny Miller must serve at least 16 years for murder

Johnny Miller has been told he will serve a minimum of 16 years in prison

A man who murdered his former fiancée has been told he must serve a minimum of 16 years of his life sentence.

Last October, Johnny Miller was found guilty of murdering Charlotte Murray from Omagh, County Tyrone.

Ms Murray, 34, was killed some time between 31 October and 1 November 2012, but her body has never been found.

On Monday, her family said that her killer should not be released from prison until he reveals the location of her body.

Charlotte Murray was 34 when she was reported missing

Ms Murray, who lived with Miller at Roxborough Heights in Moy, was last seen alive at Halloween in 2012.

Miller, a 49-year-old chef from Redford Park, Dungannon, had claimed she vanished after leaving him to start a new life in Belfast.

When police launched a missing person inquiry seven months later he posted a message on Facebook saying "someone must know where she is please help".

The police proved his account was a lie through mobile cell site analysis which showed her phone never left Moy after her alleged disappearance.

They argued Miller had sent messages to create the impression she was still alive.

After a jury convicted him of her murder in October 2019, the police drained a quarry near Benburb to search for Charlotte's body but nothing was found.

Ms Murray's family said Miller had put a "cruel suffering" upon their family by not revealing where her body is.

A quarry was searched for Ms Murray's body last year

They called on local politicians to bring in a law to prevent killers who conceal their victim's body from receiving parole.

A similar law has already been proposed in England and Wales

"John Miller murdered our sister and he knows what he has done," Charlotte's identical twin sister Denise said outside the court.

"We ask of him to tell us where Charlotte's body is and let us bring Charlotte home. We want to say our goodbyes in peace.

"This is a cruel suffering that he has put upon us, especially our mum.

"You've had a fair trial Mr Miller. Give it up, let us know what you have done with Charlotte."

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Stephen Fowler QC acknowledged the devastating impact that not finding Ms Murray's body has had on her family.

"This has caused and will continue to cause the family considerable pain, distress and hurt," he said.

"I regard this as the most serious aggravating feature of this case."

'Agonising wait'

The Public Prosecution Service welcomed the 16-year tariff and said it was a "highly unusual" and "particularly complex" case to prosecute.

Senior Public Prosecutor Hazel Edmondson said "the fact that Charlotte's remains have still not been found contributed to its challenging nature".

She paid tribute to Ms Murray's family, saying they had "endured a long and agonising wait for justice since her disappearance seven years ago".

"While Charlotte's family, including her mother Mary and twin sister Denise, continue to try to cope with the loss of their much loved daughter and sister, the fact that they have not been able to lay her to rest is a source of great distress for her family," Ms Edmondson added.

"While nothing can bring Charlotte back, we hope that this guilty verdict will bring some measure of comfort to them."