Child killer jailed for life

A man has been jailed for life after admitting the cold-blooded killing of a five-year-old boy.

Perry Flower was shot in the head as he lay in his bed at his home in Hounslow, west London.

James Murphy, 33, from west London, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering the boy in July last year.

Police said he had shot the child to "spite" his mother, Stephanie Flower, after she broke off the relationship.

Murphy was described by the judge as callous

Judge Brian Barker described Murphy as "callous, selfish and thoroughly dangerous".

He said: "What you have done is deliberately take the life of a defenceless child.

"You say you loved Miss Flower but what you have done is destroy her family and take away her child."

Murphy broke into the family's home and fired two shots at Miss Flower.

After she ran from the house, Murphy stepped into the boy's bedroom and fired at his head and legs.

Officers found the blood-soaked child in his bedroom. He died 11 hours later in Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Murphy pleaded guilty to murdering Perry, using a firearm to resist arrest and to threaten Miss Flower and two charges of causing actual bodily harm to officers.

He was jailed for life and a total of six years concurrently for the other offences.