Woman who murdered boyfriend attempted to cover up crime with 'heartbreaking' Facebook tribute

A woman who brutally murdered her boyfriend posted an online tribute to him just hours later on Facebook in an attempt to cover up her crime.

Zoe Warren was jailed for life alongside friend Keiran Adey after Mark Shaw was found dead with more than 80 injuries at his home in Newcastle.

Mr Shaw had been tied to his bed by the ankles, gagged, beaten, bitten, hit with a pool cue and stabbed during the ordeal on 16 December last year, Chronicle Live reports.

Soon after, Ms Warren took to Facebook to claim her heart was “breaking” at the news. In a message littered with spelling errors, she said: “Love u. Ya wur my BESTFRIEND and soul partner in 1. A can’t stop me heaft from breaking a keep waitin 2 wake up frm this nightmare.”

But the 20-year-old had actually murdered her partner because he had reportedly taken her last £10 to spend on drugs, while Adey was furious over £5 he was owed by Mr Shaw and a phone call the victim had made to police over a smashed window.

Newcastle Crown Court was told how Warren and Adey had subjected the 29-year-old to an attack so brutal he was left looking like “Elephant Man”.

Having suffered 86 injuries to virtually every part of his body, he was left tied to the bed with his jeans and underwear pulled down.

Warren told the court Adey, who admitted to punching and biting Mr Shaw, had been responsible for all the violence.

But Adey accused his accomplice of providing the fatal blow with the knife.

The court also heard how Warren joked to a new partner she had "got away with murder" and confessed to neighbours, the BBC reports.

During sentencing, Mr Justice told the pair they had committed a “cruel, merciless and sustained episode of brutality”.

“He offered no resistance, having only a short time earlier been resuscitated by the emergency services following a heroin overdose,” he said.

“He undoubtedly suffered greatly in the time before his death and after you killed him he was left bound on the bed and you continued your night out, drinking and drug taking.

“Neither of you have shown any genuine remorse.”

Warren, of Chipchase, Washington and Adey, of Queen Street, Grange Villa, have been jailed for life and must serve at least 17 years each in prison.