Tia's mother: 'Stuart Hazell deserves to suffer'

The mother of murdered schoolgirl Tia Sharp has said the man responsible for her death "deserves to suffer".

Talking about 37-year-old Stuart Hazell, Natalie Sharp said: "He doesn't even deserve to be in prison, but he doesn't deserve to die either. He deserves to suffer but he'll never suffer will he? Not the way I need him to."

Today, Hazell, who changed his plea and admitted the murder of Tia on Monday, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 38 years.

During his sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Nichol told him: "All that lay ahead of her [Tia] - a career, loves and family of her own - will now never be. And the loss of her has been devastating for her mother, her father and all her relatives and friends.

"The tragedy of their loss and her death is because of your act in murdering Tia Sharp. You are responsible."

There were sobs and a shout of "beast" from the public gallery as Hazell was sentenced. Tia's grandmother Christine Bicknell could be seen crying and hugging a relative. Christine was the partner of Hazell at the time of Tia's death and told Hazell's trial the schoolgirl had "idolised" him.

Speaking to ITV's Tonight, she said she couldn't believe it when Tia's body was found in her loft, "It couldn't be her. She was coming home. She was coming home".

Tia was last seen at the house her grandmother shared with Hazell in Croydon, south London last August. Her body - wrapped in sheets and plastic bags - was discovered in the loft of the home after a week-long search by police.

ITV News reporter Lewis Vaughan-Jones reports:

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