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Killer rapist must serve 35 years | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A convicted rapist who murdered a 14-year-old girl in a frenzied attack at her home has been told he must serve at least 35 years in prison. | |
Michael Clark, 40, was given a life sentence at Sheffield Crown Court for the murder of Polish teenager Zuzanna Zommer in Leeds last October. | |
Clark attacked Zuzanna two months after her family arrived from Poland. | |
Her body was found by her parents at their home in Compton Row with her throat cut and skull fractured. | |
She had also been sexually assaulted. | |
He is without doubt an extremely dangerous sexual predator Det Supt Bill Shackleton | |
The judge, Mr Justice King, told Clark he had considered imposing a so-called whole life tariff which would have meant him never having the possibility of being released. | |
But the judge said he had decided instead he must serve at least 35 years before he is considered for parole. | |
The judge said: "No words of mine could express the grief, distress and profound sense of loss caused by your actions to the Zommer family. | |
"These were truly wicked acts. You have shown no remorse. | |
"Your victim was particularly vulnerable. She was 14. Your attack was particularly brutal and frenzied." | |
Jurors were told Clark, who was convicted of rape in 1991, had befriended the Zommer family when they moved into his street. | |
The girl had moved to Leeds from Poland with her family | |
But not long afterwards, his behaviour began to worry Zuzanna's father. | But not long afterwards, his behaviour began to worry Zuzanna's father. |
On the day she was killed, Zuzanna's parents had gone out to find work in Leeds city centre, leaving her at home. | |
Solvent abuser Clark later told the police he had an alibi, insisting he was in a post office collecting benefits at the time of the murder, but officers disproved it. | Solvent abuser Clark later told the police he had an alibi, insisting he was in a post office collecting benefits at the time of the murder, but officers disproved it. |
After the hearing, Det Supt Bill Shackleton, from West Yorkshire Police, said, "The Zommer family had only been in England for a few weeks when Zuzanna was brutally murdered by Michael Clark. | |
"Clark has a history of violent sexual offences as was heard during the trial. | |
"He is without doubt an extremely dangerous sexual predator. The sentence he received today will ensure that he will no longer present a danger to the public." | |
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