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'Truly evil' Wesley Streete jailed for life for rape and murder of Keeley Bunker Wesley Streete jailed for rape and murder of Keeley Bunker
(about 7 hours later)
Streete dumped 20-year-old’s body in park then lied about what had happened Streete dumped 20-year-old’s body in a stream and then lied about what had happened
A “truly evil” former warehouse packer has been jailed for life for raping and murdering a “caring” would-be classroom assistant and friend. A serial rapist who raped and murdered a trusted friend before dumping her body face down in a brook has been jailed for life.
Wesley Streete dumped Keeley Bunker’s body face-down in a brook in a park before trying to conceal her body with branches on 19 September last year. Wesley Streete promised to take 20-year-old Keeley Bunker home safely after a night out, but raped and murdered her in a local park before trying to conceal her body with branches on 19 September last year.
He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 29 years by Mr Justice Jeremy Baker at Stafford crown court on Friday, for the killing and what the judge called a “carefully crafted” scheme of lies following his crime, tailored to fit the evidence. He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 29 years at Stafford crown court on Friday, after Mr Justice Jeremy Baker criticised the “carefully crafted” scheme of lies he tailored to fit the evidence.
The Crown Prosecution Service welcomed the sentence, saying: “Wesley Streete will now face the consequences of his truly evil actions.” Streete was also found guilty of a series of rapes and assaults dating back to 2015, when he raped and sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl. He also sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl in 2017 and raped another 20-year-old woman in 2019, four months before he murdered Bunker.
The 20-year-old repeatedly lied about what had happened to Bunker, also 20, after they returned to their hometown of Tamworth following a night out at Snobs nightclub in Birmingham to celebrate her recent birthday. “This was a pattern of offending,” said Hannah Sidaway, who led the prosecution at West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service’s complex casework unit.
Streete had been “trusted” to walk the friend he had known since infant school back to her house, jurors heard. “This wasn’t a spur of the moment attack, it was a pattern of behaviour over a significant amount of time.” She said Streete had a mindset of “this is what I need, this is what I want” and was going to fulfil those wants without any regard to his victims.
Bunker earlier told a female friend, Monique Riggon: “I’ve got Wes, he’ll walk me back. It’ll be fine”. Streete, whom the Crown Prosecution Service described as “truly evil”, did not match the usual image of a rapist, she said. “It’s easy to have a stereotypical image of a perpetrator, but what we often do not think about is a young lad who is popular, who has many friends, who is well known and liked.”
Jailing Streete, Mr Justice Baker told him: “She told Monique she would be safe at home, as you had offered to walk with her back to her house. Unfortunately nothing could have been further from the truth. Two of the survivors spoke to police after Streete’s arrest, and a third had spoken to officers informally but had not wished to continue with an investigation. “It’s taken such courage and bravery for Streete’s other victims to come forward, particularly given their young ages,” Sidaway said.
“Because, on the way back to her house, I am satisfied you persuaded Keeley to divert to the rugby club, probably on the pretext of going for a smoke. The trial went ahead despite concerns about coronavirus. It was spread across three courts to maintain social distancing, with half of the jury in the normal position and the other half sat on benches normally occupied by barristers.
“However, what took place in Wigginton Park is you proceeded to rape Keeley Bunker, in the course of which you murdered her by throttling her, in all probability by placing her in a choke-hold for sufficient period of time to kill her.” Streete changed his defence four times during the investigation, establishing the one he used in court – that he had accidentally killed Bunker during consensual sex after a night out in Birmingham – on the last working day before the trial.
The judge continued: “When you had finished with her, you decided to hide Keeley’s now lifeless body by depositing it in the brook, covering it up with branches. You then walked back to your home, went to bed and slept.” Video footage shows the two laughing and dancing in a nightclub hours before the murder. At the end of the night Bunker, who aspired to become a teaching assistant, turned down an offer from her friend Monique Riggon to stay at her house. “I’ve got Wes, he’ll walk me back. It’ll be fine,” she said.
Streete, who once had a football scholarship to play for Lichfield and Tamworth, initially said he had left Bunker to walk home alone, before later claiming he “accidentally killed her” during consensual sex in the park. He changed his account at least four times before his trial. Instead Streete diverted her to a rugby club where he raped and strangled her. “When you had finished with her, you decided to hide Keeley’s now lifeless body by depositing it in the brook, covering it up with branches. You then walked back to your home, went to bed and slept,” Baker said.
The judge said that while Streete “repeatedly lied” about what had happened, it was Bunker’s uncle, Jason Brown, who made the “dreadful” discovery of her partially submerged body during a massive search effort involving family, friends and police. Bunker’s uncle Jason Brown discovered his niece’s partially submerged body during a search that involved police, family and friends.
The jury, returning verdicts on Wednesday, found Streete guilty in just over eight hours. After Streete’s conviction, Bunker’s mother, Debbie Watkins, said she had been robbed of her “precious and beautiful” daughter.
After his conviction, Debbie Watkins, Bunker’s mother, said she had been robbed of her “precious and beautiful” daughter.
Bunker’s sister described her sibling as “one of the most vibrant, caring and beautiful souls this earth has ever seen”.Bunker’s sister described her sibling as “one of the most vibrant, caring and beautiful souls this earth has ever seen”.
The judge said: “I am aware that no sentence which is imposed in relation to the offence of murder will assuage the feelings of devastation, grief and loss suffered by Keeley Bunker’s family and those who loved her. In impact statements, one of the survivors of Streete’s previous attacks told the court she thought what he had done to her was going to destroy her, but she had not let it. Another said: “After Wesley attacked me, I was scared to tell anyone. However, looking back, if something made you physically sick in your stomach, it is definitely not OK.”
“It is clear that not only was she loved by so many but that Keeley was one of the kindest, most caring of individuals. Moreover, not only has she lost the opportunity of fulfilling her life ambition, helping to educate young children, her family have lost the company of their beloved daughter, sister and niece.” A third survivor described how she had blamed herself for the rape, because she had gone to Streete’s house and kissed him. “It wasn’t until I heard the sad news concerning Keeley that I found the courage to tell someone. It was at that point that I felt the full force of what happened to me, but by that time I had already dealt with my grief in what I feel was a bad way,” she said.
The judge said the starting point for Streete’s sentence would be a minimum of 30 years, but reduced the tariff to 29 years and 46 days, allowing for 319 days of time already served. Sentencing Streete. the judge said: “It is clear that not only was she loved by so many but that Keeley was one of the kindest, most caring of individuals.
He told Streete: “You may never be released as that will only occur if and when the Parole Board is satisfied it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that you should be confined. Even if you are released, you will remain on licence and subject to recall for life.” “Moreover, not only has she lost the opportunity of fulfilling her life ambition, helping to educate young children, her family have lost the company of their beloved daughter, sister and niece.”
Streete, previously of Tamworth, was also found guilty of two other counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against three other victims, said to have happened in previous years.
He was handed jail terms of between six months and five years for those offences, to be served alongside his life sentence.