Sons heard father killing mother

Kelly McKitten was raped and beaten and suffered more than 100 injuries

A man has been jailed for life for murdering his ex-partner at her home in County Durham while their young sons hid in their bedroom.

The badly beaten body of Kelly McKitten, 31, was discovered at Gardiner Crescent, Pelton Fell, Chester-le-Street, on 20 February.

Stuart Cummings, 27, from Derwent Close in Sacriston had earlier admitting raping and killing Ms McKitten.

A judge ordered Cummings to serve a minimum of 24 years.

Newcastle Crown Court was told how Miss McKitten's two young sons heard their mother being attacked and raped by their father. She suffered more than 100 separate injuries.

These two boys and all of Kelly's family ultimately have the life sentence, not Cummings Family statement

Christopher Knox, prosecuting, said: "The boys were told to go back to bed and they went, hiding under their quilts clearly distressed."

"The defendant came to them in the morning and said he didn't mean to do what he had done.

"The elder boy believed that to mean his dad had killed his mother."

Tim Roberts QC, defending, said Cummings "lost it" and was "out of control" when he killed Miss McKitten.

"He accepts that he alone must bear the full and excruciating responsibility for the irreparable harm he's done by his actions" Mr Roberts said.

Stuart Cummings was ordered to serve a minimum of 24 years in jail

Sentencing Cummings to life Judge David Hodson said: "The circumstances of the attack can only be possibly described as a brutal and persistent attack over an extended period of time, coupled with sexual violence.

"Much of this was heard by the elder boy upstairs and part of it was seen by their son.

"The immediate and any long term psychological effects of being present when their father killed their mother is yet unknown but must on any view be profound and traumatic."

Speaking after the hearing, a family spokesman said: "Today we can try and move on with our lives.

"As hard as it is for us, her family, no one can even imagine how her two young sons must feel without the mother who adored them.

"These two boys and all of Kelly's family ultimately have the life sentence, not Cummings."