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Becky Watts stepbrother and his girlfriend guilty of killing Becky Watts stepbrother and his girlfriend guilty of killing
(about 2 hours later)
The stepbrother of Becky Watts has been found guilty of murdering her during a sexually motivated kidnap plot.The stepbrother of Becky Watts has been found guilty of murdering her during a sexually motivated kidnap plot.
Nathan Matthews, 28, had admitted killing and dismembering the teenager, but claimed he was only trying to scare her to teach her a lesson. Nathan Matthews, 28, had admitted killing and dismembering the teenager but claimed her death was an accident and he was only trying to scare her.
But a jury at Bristol Crown Court found him and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare guilty of conspiring to kidnap her, partly for sexual reasons. A jury at Bristol Crown Court found him and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare guilty of conspiring to kidnap Becky, partly for sexual reasons.
Hoare, 21, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. Hoare, 21, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.
'Sexually motivated kidnap'
She was also convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying to police and preventing a lawful burial by dismembering and hiding Becky's body - charges Matthews had admitted.
The jury took just over three hours to convict the couple, after hearing 21 days of evidence.
As the first verdict was returned, related to kidnap, people in the public gallery began clapping and shouting "yes".
Becky's father Darren and his wife Anjie sobbed, while Matthews and Hoare remained totally emotionless.
Matthews, who gave his address as Hazelbury Drive in Warmley, South Gloucestershire, suffocated Becky at her home in Crown Hill, Bristol, on 19 February.
He then dragged her body into the boot of his car and drove it to the home he shared with his girlfriend less than two miles away in Cotton Mill Lane.
In the days that followed, Matthews bought a circular power saw, goggles, masks, bags, cling film and tape to cut up and package Becky's body.
Police initially interviewed the couple as witnesses, after they told officers they had been at Becky's home that day to help her stepmother, Matthews's mother, for whom Hoare was a registered carer.
But when they knew police would be coming to the house, on 24 February, they made arrangements to move Becky's remains to a shed at a friend's address, 80 metres away.
Hoare denied any knowledge of Becky's death and subsequent dismemberment, but the prosecution said the idea she could have been in "blissful ignorance" of events, while being with Matthews the morning of Becky's death, and throughout the days her body was dismembered, was "ridiculous".
'Sinister motive'
Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Mike Courtier, said their "macabre plan" had resulted in Becky's killing.
"Matthews and Hoare concocted a heinous plan to kidnap his stepsister Becky for reasons that they have failed to fully disclose, other than she occasionally left items on the floor which could have tripped up Nathan Matthews' mother.
"The body of evidence however suggested a more sinister motive related to their deep-seated hatred for Becky and their twisted sexual desires."
"They took her body back to their home in Cotton Mill Lane and began the horrific and grotesque task of dismembering her over a matter of days.
"It is virtually impossible to comprehend this level of depravity."
Becky's father Darren and his wife Anjie, who is Matthews's mother, described her as a "big-hearted" girl who was "full of life".
Read more on the Becky Watts murder case:Read more on the Becky Watts murder case:
Matthews, a former Territorial Army soldier, suffocated Becky at her home in Crown Hill, Bristol, on 19 February.
He transferred her body in the boot of his car and drove it to the home he shared with his girlfriend, less than two miles away, in Cotton Mill Lane.
In the days that followed, while police were treating the case as a missing person investigation, Matthews bought a circular power saw, goggles, masks and cling film which he used to carve up and package Becky's body.
The trial heard the couple had shared texts, just weeks before Becky's death, referring to kidnapping schoolgirls and teen-themed pornography was found bookmarked on a phone which they shared.
In court, Matthews confessed to watching pornography on a near-daily basis and the jury learned that a video about the rape of a teenage girl was found on a laptop at their home.
The trial heard that this sexual interest in teenagers, as well as a shared dislike of Becky, is what lay behind the plot to kidnap her.
When Matthews and Hoare knew police would be coming to their house on 24 February, as part of the missing person's search, they made arrangements to move Becky's remains to a shed at a friend's address, 80 metres away.
Two days later, forensics officers found blood stains on doorframes upstairs at Becky's home, among them was a fingerprint that would turn out to belong to Matthews.
After their arrest on suspicion of murder, he admitted killing Becky, in what he claimed was a bid to scare her that had gone "horribly wrong", and revealed where her remains were being stored.
But Hoare denied any knowledge of Becky's death and dismemberment, something the prosecution said was "ridiculous", as she had been with Matthews when Becky died and for most of the days that followed.
The jury took just over three hours to convict the pair, after hearing 21 days of evidence.
Hoare was also convicted of perverting the course of justice and preventing a lawful burial, charges Matthews, who gave his address as Hazelbury Drive in Warmley, South Gloucestershire, had admitted.
As verdicts were returned, Becky's father Darren Galsworthy and his wife Anjie - Matthews' mother - sobbed.
Matthews and Hoare remained emotionless.
Speaking outside court, Det Supt Mike Courtiour said: "Matthews and Hoare concocted a heinous plan to kidnap his stepsister Becky for reasons that they have failed to fully disclose, other than she occasionally left items on the floor which could have tripped up Nathan Matthews' mother.
"The body of evidence however suggested a more sinister motive related to their deep-seated hatred for Becky and their twisted sexual desires."
In a statement delivered by a police officer, Becky's mother Tanya Watts described her as "a beautiful, happy, funny, feisty, caring, loyal and witty girl" and thanked police and the legal team.
Sam Galsworthy, Becky's uncle, said: "Finally, justice has been done for our beautiful Becky. "
"For us as a family today is not the final chapter in this tragedy, but now we can at least begin the challenge to rebuild our lives."
Two other men - Donovan Demetrius, 29, and James Ireland, 23 - were acquitted of a charge of assisting an offender, related to the moving and storage of Becky's body parts.Two other men - Donovan Demetrius, 29, and James Ireland, 23 - were acquitted of a charge of assisting an offender, related to the moving and storage of Becky's body parts.
You can see a full programme on the Becky Watts story at 18.30 GMT on the BBC News Channel and on BBC One in the West of England in a Points West Special.