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Oil worker, 31, who killed teen girl when she refused sex after night out is jailed

Lewis Haines has admitted murdering Lily Sullivan, 18.(Wales News)
Lewis Haines has admitted murdering Lily Sullivan, 18.(Wales News)

An oil worker who killed a teenager after she refused to have sex with him has been jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years and four months.

Lily Sullivan, 18, was killed by Lewis Haines, 31, after they had met and kissed in Out Nightclub, Pembroke, on 17 December last year.

The court was told they had gone to an alleyway to be more intimate, but Haines grew angry when she refused to have sexual intercourse.

Haines strangled her and left Lily semi-naked in in Mill Pond, a two-mile-long freshwater reservoir near the town.

After murdering the teenager, Haines walked past his victim’s mother as she waited to pick her daughter up from a nearby garage.

Haines confessed to the killing but had claimed it was not sexually motivated.

Lily's family shouted: "Monster" and "rot in hell" as Haines was jailed for her murder.The 20 friends and members of her family in public gallery reacted to the sentence and called out: "It should have been longer."

The family apologised to Judge Paul Thomas QC for their outburst as Haines was led away with his head bowed.

However, at a fact-finding hearing at Swansea Crown Court Judge Thomas ruled she was murdered by Haines to prevent her from telling anyone about the attack.

(Wales News)
(Wales News)
Lewis Haines walking past Lily Sullivan's mother as she waited in a car in a nearby garage for her daughter. (PA)
Lewis Haines walking past Lily Sullivan's mother as she waited in a car in a nearby garage for her daughter. (PA)
Screengrab taken from handout CCTV issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of Lewis Haines with Lily Sullivan (CPS)
Screengrab taken from handout CCTV issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of Lewis Haines with Lily Sullivan (CPS)

Before sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas said she was "forcibly taken" from the alleyway by Haines.

Haines claimed that he strangled Lily when she threatened to tell people he was a "rapist" and said his daughter would be "ashamed."

Lily tried to leave the lane to find her mother who was waiting nearby, calling and telling her: "I'll be there now mam. I'm on my way. I'm a couple of minutes away. I'm nearly there" - but the call was cut short.

Anna Sullivan attempted to call her daughter back 30 times before she spotted Haines walking away from the murder scene.

Judge Thomas said part of the defendant’s story held an “element based in truth” and that he had a “great deal to lose”.

Haines claimed that he strangled Lily when she threatened to tell people he was a
Haines claimed that he strangled Lily when she threatened to tell people he was a "rapist" (Wales News)

At the time, Haines was going through family court proceedings to have access to his child, and had a girlfriend.

“He strangled Lily in order to prevent her telling people he had tried to get her to go further than she was willing,” Judge Thomas said.

“His intention was to silence her.

“He didn’t want anyone to know what had happened in the lane.”

Haines confessed to his girlfriend what had happened, telling her: "I've strangled somebody. They're in Mill Pond."

A post mortem by Dr Stephen Leadbeatter found her injuries consistent with "manual strangulation."

Haines told police: "I strangled her" when they arrived at the address. He later said "What the f*** have I done?" at the custody desk at the station.

Haines hid her body in the Mill Pond in Pembroke. (Wales News)
Haines hid her body in the Mill Pond in Pembroke. (Wales News)

Haines previously admitted manslaughter but pleaded guilty to murder a week before his trial.

Sentencing him, Judge Thomas said: "Precisely what happened in that lane will never be known because you have chosen not to tell anyone. At least, not to tell the truth about it."She said she would complain about what you had done. In order to stop her, you strangled her.

"She must have been terrified. An 18-year-old woman alone in the dark... You were only concerned with your own self-preservation."

He added Haines had shown "self-pity" more than genuine remorse but acknowledged there was no evidence of him forcing sexual intercourse.