Woman killed 'for after-sex joke'

Fran Rosser's body was found after a police search

A businessman has been jailed for a minimum of 24 years for strangling a beautician when she teased him about living in a caravan after they had sex.

Paul Lee, 44, took Fran Rosser, 60, for a drink then invited her back to his place at Pontyclun, near Llantrisant.

He wrapped tights around her neck to kill her and CCTV showed him going to dispose of the Rhondda mother-of-four's clothes, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Divorced Lee, who was jailed for life, had previously admitted murder.

Prosecutor Patrick Harrington said: "Lee said when they arrived she began to make fun of his caravan. They had consensual sex and he claims she again made a joke about his lifestyle.

"Lee said he decided to teach her a lesson - he grabbed her by both hands and began strangling her.

He said he had not intended to kill her... he has a background of sexual gratification from the act of strangulation Patrick Harrington, prosecuting, on Paul Lee

"He wrapped tights around her neck and continued to strangle her until she went still.

"He said he had not intended to kill her. He has a background of sexual gratification from the act of strangulation."

Other women

The court heard that Mrs Rosser, a mother-of-four from Ton Pentre, was unaware that Lee got his kicks from throttling women while having sex with them.

The pair had sex in the caravan - which had no running water and no electricity - but Lee put his hands around Mrs Rosser's throat and started to strangle her.

When she struggled he produced a pair of tights and used them as a ligature "until she went still".

A police investigation into Lee discovered three other women who had been throttled by Lee during sex, but survived.

The court heard Lee used a razor blade to cut off Mrs Rosser's clothes, then dumped her body in woodland opposite the industrial estate where he ran his car valeting business.

She was found during a police search after her close family reported her missing.

Lee's caravan was parked next to a factory whose security cameras were filming onto it, and police were able to view every detail of his movements in and out of the caravan on CCTV.

Mr Harrington said: "He was seen going to a skip to dispose of her clothing and he was seen going for a 'recce' to find a place to hide her body.

"Finally he was seen putting the body into the back of a Mitsubishi Pajero and driving it to the woodland."

Lee, a father-of-two, admitted murdering Mrs Rosser in February this year.

The court heard that when arrested Lee had scratch marks on his face where Mrs Rosser put up a struggle.