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| Hazel North murder: John Davis jailed for life | Hazel North murder: John Davis jailed for life |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man who murdered his teenage girlfriend before burying her body in a park has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years. | A man who murdered his teenage girlfriend before burying her body in a park has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years. |
| John Davis, 26, carried out a "brutal and sustained assault" on Hazel North at his flat in Kilmarnock in March. | John Davis, 26, carried out a "brutal and sustained assault" on Hazel North at his flat in Kilmarnock in March. |
| He then buried her body in a shallow grave in the town's Dean Park. | He then buried her body in a shallow grave in the town's Dean Park. |
| Hazel, from Dunfermline, was reported missing by her family three weeks before her body was found. | Hazel, from Dunfermline, was reported missing by her family three weeks before her body was found. |
| Passing sentence at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Rae told Davis: "You destroyed a young woman's life in her prime and caused indescribable pain to her family." | Passing sentence at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Rae told Davis: "You destroyed a young woman's life in her prime and caused indescribable pain to her family." |
| She described the murder as "wholly motiveless". | She described the murder as "wholly motiveless". |
| The judge gave Davis a life sentence with a minimum period of 20 years before he will be eligible for parole. | The judge gave Davis a life sentence with a minimum period of 20 years before he will be eligible for parole. |
| Ms North's family - including parents Rosina and Graeme - were in court to see Davis being sentenced. | |
| In a statement outside court, her brother Michael North said he was "delighted" that "such an evil individual has been removed from society". | |
| He added: "Nothing will bring Hazel back. We would ask people to remember Hazel for who she was and her beautiful smile and not the tragedy that ended her life." | |
| During a hearing at the court on Tuesday, Davis had admitted murdering Ms North in March. | During a hearing at the court on Tuesday, Davis had admitted murdering Ms North in March. |
| The court heard the teenager may have lay dying for up to 18 hours. | The court heard the teenager may have lay dying for up to 18 hours. |
| Davis, who had only recently been released from prison after carrying out an assault using a golf club. then hid her remains in the park. | |
| He later told a friend: "I done her in and buried her". | |
| Police launched a major search operation after Hazel was reported missing by relatives. | Police launched a major search operation after Hazel was reported missing by relatives. |
| Detectives quickly had suspicions about Davis, but were unable to contact him. It later emerged he had fled the country in a failed bid to join the French Foreign Legion. | |
| 'Face the music' | 'Face the music' |
| He eventually turned up at Kilmarnock police station, where he told officers: "Hazel is dead and I'll show you where she is." | He eventually turned up at Kilmarnock police station, where he told officers: "Hazel is dead and I'll show you where she is." |
| Davis took officers to Dean Park, pointed to the ground and said: "She is in there." | Davis took officers to Dean Park, pointed to the ground and said: "She is in there." |
| He added: "This is helping me. I realise what I did was wrong and I'll face the music from here." | He added: "This is helping me. I realise what I did was wrong and I'll face the music from here." |
| Ms North's naked corpse, which had been wrapped in a sheet and a curtain, was discovered in what was described as a "reasonably well concealed grave". | |
| She had died after suffering severe blunt force trauma to her head, neck and body. | |
| Her injuries included massive bruising and multiple fractures to the jaw and eye socket and 14 fractures of the ribs. | Her injuries included massive bruising and multiple fractures to the jaw and eye socket and 14 fractures of the ribs. |
| The court heard it was the pathologists' opinion that the head and neck injuries "suggested a survival rate of at least 16-18 hours" after they were sustained. | |
| Prosecutor David Nicolson told how Hazel had started dating Davis in May 2012 after meeting in Stranraer. | |
| The relationship was described as "on-off" at the time of the murder. | |
| Davis's lawyer Simon Gilbride said: "Why he did what he did that day, he does not really know." | Davis's lawyer Simon Gilbride said: "Why he did what he did that day, he does not really know." |
| Mr Gilbride added: "He does recall that it was 9 March she died. | Mr Gilbride added: "He does recall that it was 9 March she died. |
| "After that happened he panicked and disposed of the body. He then effectively ran away. | "After that happened he panicked and disposed of the body. He then effectively ran away. |
| "He could not come to terms with the gravity of the situation." | "He could not come to terms with the gravity of the situation." |