Schoolboy killer found hanging in cell

Smith was described in court as a "very, very dangerous boy"

A man who battered a nine-year-old girl to death when he was just 13, has been found hanging at a young offenders institute.

Brian Smith, now 20, was found in his cell at Aylesbury Young Offenders Institute in Buckinghamshire.

Smith, who was from Province Road, Bootle, Merseyside, pleaded guilty in 1996 to killing Jade Matthews on a railway line in Netherton, Merseyside.

At Liverpool Crown Court Mr Justice Kay sentenced Smith to be detained indefinitely, describing him as a "very, very dangerous boy".

A Home Office spokeswoman said Smith had been found in his cell at 0730 BST on Tuesday.

He can't hurt anybody else now Jade's mother Denise Matthews

The spokeswoman said: "He was taken to an outside hospital but was declared dead at 0817 BST."

Smith confessed to murdering Jade in an interview with psychiatrist Dr Susan Bailey - the Crown specialist on the James Bulger case.

He told police he had given the schoolgirl a lift on her bike and left her safe and well in a nearby park.

Eventually he admitted to having used a window frame to beat her to death.

'Overwhelming relief'

Jade had lived with her mother Denise and stepfather Stephen at their home on Eaton Avenue, Bootle.

Denise said she believed Smith would "rot in hell".

The 38-year-old administration officer said: "I was told the news by a probation officer and when I heard I just burst into tears.

"My feeling now is just overwhelming relief.

"I'm relieved that we will never have to worry about him coming out and doing the same thing to another child. He can't hurt anybody else now.

"He can rot in hell now.

"He won't be meeting his maker, that's for sure - he's not good enough.

"He won't be meeting our Jade in heaven."