Life for killer of pregnant Amy

Amy Williams was throttled with her own shoelace

A man has been jailed for life for the rape and murder of pregnant 14-year-old Amy Williams, who was strangled as she walked home from a party on Boxing Day.

Philip Powell, 43, of Sutton Hill, pleaded guilty at Stafford Crown Court to attacking Amy after she left the family event in Telford, Shropshire.

Amy's body was found the next day in St Michael's churchyard, Madeley. Powell must serve a minimum term of 30 years.

Powell said what happened was a "chance encounter" as he went to buy food.

'Sexual desire'

Before Mr Justice Wakerley passed sentence, prosecutor Max Bennett told the court that Amy was 24 weeks' pregnant at the time of the attack.

In the police statement which Mr Bennett read to the court, Powell said: "I didn't plan what happened that night... on the night in question we (Powell and Amy) were walking the same way.

"I decided to approach her. It was a chance encounter. I was motivated by sexual desire.

I killed her because I couldn't have people knowing what I had done Philip Powell

"I grabbed at her clothing in order to attract her attention. I placed my arm around her. At some point she said, 'don't hurt me, I'm pregnant'."

After walking for about 30 minutes, they left Sutton Hill and arrived at St Michael's Church, the court heard.

Powell told police he and Amy sat on a park bench, adding: "She said, 'You're not going to hurt me are you?' I accept that she must have been frightened."

Mr Bennett told the court that sexual activity then took place between the pair.

Powell's statement went on: "I killed her because I couldn't have people knowing what I had done.

DNA sample

"As we both sat on the bench I removed one of the laces from her training shoes - she could not have realised what I was going to do. I killed her with the lace."

Powell also confessed to placing Amy's clothes in a bag, which he disposed of in a dustbin in Sutton Hill.

Mr Bennett told the court how the teenager's body was found by a man who had gone to visit his wife's grave.

Powell was arrested after DNA samples taken from Amy's body were matched with a profile of the defendant held on the police database after he was convicted of possession of an offensive weapon in 1999.

Denis Desmond, defending, said his client suffered from an "acute adjustment disorder" which had caused him to take three overdoses.

He added that Powell was truly remorseful for his actions.