Anger as psychopath gets life sentence

The 22-year-old was described as a 'bubbly' person

The family of a woman stabbed by a convicted sex offender have called for a change in the system that put her killer back in the community.

Paul McMilan was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Shirley Cotton-Betteridge.

He stabbed the 22-year-old barmaid to death in the pub where she worked.

Sentencing him, Mrs Justice Heather Hallett ordered he be sent to Broadmoor hospital for treatment but must return to prison when it was over.

Although you live apparently in an extremely deviated inner world and have violent sexual fantasies, you can at the next minute appear perfectly normal

Mrs Justice Heather Hallett

McMilan had been convicted of indecent assault and causing grievous bodily harm in 1999 but was conditionally released from a young offenders institute in August 2000.

He killed Miss Cotton-Betteridge on 28 August 2001.

Mrs Justice Hallett said: "I wish that I could offer the smallest crumb of comfort to the family and friends of your victim by way of explanation as to how this dreadful, tragic sequence of events could have occurred."

Miss Cotton-Betteridge's stepfather, Graham Morgan, from Cheltenham, said after the hearing that he condemned the system that put McMilan back into the community.

He said: "I solely hold the system responsible for Shirley's death.

"If it does not change it will definitely happen again."

The judge said McMilan had a meek and mild demeanour

During Wednesday's hearing, the judge heard how McMilan had attended a group for sex offenders just hours before the killing.

Miss Cotton-Betteridge was assistant manager in a pub where McMilan had worked and, on the night of her death, had remained in the pub alone with him.

A post-mortem revealed she had died from multiple stab wounds from a kitchen knife.

The judge was also told that McMilan had attended hospital the day after the killing after attempting suicide.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in June and was diagnosed with a psychopathic disorder, having a schizoid personality disorder.

Mrs Justice Hallett said she had rarely seen psychiatrists refer to such a high level of risk of someone reoffending.

She said: "Although you live apparently in an extremely deviated inner world and have violent sexual fantasies, you can at the next minute appear perfectly normal."

Highly dangerous

Mr Morgan said he hoped McMilan would never be released and condemned the system that allowed the killer to be in the community.

He said: "To identify him as a person being highly dangerous and then saying we will put you on probation and the sexual offenders' register - they gave him the licence to do it.

"The system failed Shirley - I think unless they change the system this is going to happen again.

"There is more than one person like Paul McMilan.