Teenage killer's 12-year sentence

Kelly Hyde disappeared after dropping her car off at a garage Murder motive eludes detectives Mother's 'torture' over killing

A teenager convicted of murdering a young woman as she walked her dog along a bridle path has been jailed for a minimum of 12 years.

Adrian Jones, 17, beat Kelly Hyde, 24, to death with a barbell weight while she walked her dog near her home in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire.

The sentence will include the time Jones has already spent in detention.

The judge at Swansea Crown Court told Jones: "Just why you killed Kelly Hyde is known to no-one but yourself".

Ms Hyde, 24, disappeared while walking her pet whippet, Scrappy, on 27 September 2007 after dropping her car off at a garage for its MOT.

Her body was found three days later after a search involving police officers and mountain rescue teams.

'Dangerous'

Jones was arrested within a week of her death and a search of his home found a dog lead belonging to her, which was stained with her blood.

Adrian Jones, 17, was told he must serve a minimum of 12 years

Her blood was on the teenager's training shoes and a barbell used to kill her, which matched one found at his home, forensic tests found.

He told the court on the day Ms Hyde disappeared he found a dog lead she used as he walked along the bridle path smoking cannabis.

He said he took the lead home without realising it was blood-soaked.

Mr Justice Davis, passing sentence told Jones: "Quite why you killed Kelly Hyde is known only to you.

"What one can say is that the person who killed an attractive young woman, innocently walking her dog along a river, for no reason at all, there is no motive either of sex or robbery, must be considered a dangerous person.

"This was a savage case of beating a woman to death. It was a very sustained attack on a defenceless young woman.

"There were numerous blows to Kelly. Mercifully, there is reason to think that the first blow would have rendered her unconscious."

The judge told Jones that he would be sentencing him with a minimum 12 year recommendation minus 286 days already spent in custody.

He added: "I am required by parliament to take a starting point of 12 years before you are considered for release.

"That is the minimum term that I am going to recommend. It means you will serve 11 years and 79 days before you are considered for release by the authorities."