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Model who lured man to death with promise of sex is among six jailed for life

Coral Edgar was one of six jailed. (SWNS)
Coral Edgar was one of six jailed. (SWNS)

A model who "lured" a man to his death with the promise of sex has been jailed for life for his murder alongside five others.

Coral Edgar, 26, messaged Lee McKnight, 26, telling him to come to her home at 2am on 24 July last year before he was subjected to a horrific two-hour attack, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

McKnight, who sold cocaine and cannabis, owed money to Jamie Davison, 26, a "middle-man" in the alleged £500,000-a-year operation.

Davison had persuaded Edgar to send the messages over Snapchat.

But when the victim arrived at her home, he was tied to a chair and beaten to "the point of death" by Davison along with Arron Graham, 26, and Jamie Lee Roberts, 18.

Lee McKnight's body was recovered from a river. (SWNS)
Lee McKnight's body was recovered from a river. (SWNS)

The victim was kicked, punched and whipped with a riding crop belonging to Edgar's mother Carol, 47, which she bought from a sex shop, the court heard.

Read: Man, 27, died from carbon monoxide poisoning after nodding off on mum's sofa, inquest hears

McKnight was still alive when he was thrown into a river south of Carlisle.

A farmer found his body a few hours later.

At a trial lasting several weeks, a pathologist said the injuries – which included 36 separate head wounds, a fractured skull and several broken ribs – made him look like a "torture victim".

The teenager was the youngest of the defendants. (SWNS)
Jamie Lee Roberts, 18, was the youngest of the defendants. (SWNS)

All six defendants denied murder and blamed each other for McKnight's death.

But they were found guilty and jailed for a total of 119.5 years on Friday.

Justice Hilliard said Davison and Graham both knew that McKnight was alive and that they both chose to deliberately drown him.

The judge said: "I am sure that Davison and Graham put him in the river. They drowned him. Deliberately.

"This was in my judgement murder for gain and a murder intended to obstruct the course of justice."

Jamie Davison orchestrated the attack. (SWNS)
Jamie Davison orchestrated the attack. (SWNS)

The victim's mother Wendy McKnight called her son "thoughtful" and "courteous" as she gave an impact statement to the court.

She said: "You don't expect your son to be murdered and taken away so soon without even being given a chance to say goodbye.

"We do try to go about our lives as normally as we can but underneath our hearts are broken. He was loved by so many and we were proud to call him our son.

"This has pushed our family to the limit. He was always polite and courteous and always had time to chat. He was thoughtful and never missed special occasions - father's and mother's day, birthdays and Christmas."

Aaron Graham was also jailed for his part in the attack. (SWNS)
Graham was also jailed for his part in the attack. (SWNS)
Carol Edgar's whip was used during the attack.
Carol Edgar's whip was used during the attack.

She told the court she had been continuously haunted by thoughts of what her son went through.

Paul Roberts, 51, admitted to helping his son Jamie by taking him fresh clothes after the attack and destroying blood-stained clothes.

He claimed he tried to help McKnight when he saw how badly injured he was.

Paul Roberts admitted to helping his son after the attack. (SWNS)
Paul Roberts admitted to helping his son after the attack. (SWNS)

Edgar, of Carlisle, and her mother were jailed for life with a minimum term of 13.5 years and 13 years respectively.

Davison, of Harraby, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years while Graham, of Currock, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 26 years.

Roberts, of Carlisle, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16.5 years and his father was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20.5 years.

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