Kayleigh Haywood: Man guilty of holding murdered teenager captive

Video report by ITV News correspondent Duncan Golestani.

A men has been found guilty of falsely imprisoning murdered teenager Kayleigh Haywood before her death last November.

Luke Harlow was convicted of falsely imprisoning Kayleigh by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court a day after the 15-year-old's killer, Stephen Beadman, was found guilty of the same charge.

Harlow, 28, had admitted sexual grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child, while Beadman, 29, had previously admitted raping and murdering the teenager.

Both men had denied the false imprisonment charge.

The 15-year-old's body was found in undergrowth near a lake five days after she went missing in Leicestershire.

Kayleigh's disappearance and murder

Kayleigh, from Measham in Leicestershire, was last seen on November 13 when she was dropped off outside Ibstock Community College.

Police officers from across the region were drafted in to search for the missing girl. Six days after her disappearance, Kayleigh's body was found in undergrowth near a lake in Sence Valley Forest Park on November 19.

During the trial, the jury heard that Kayleigh had been held for a six-hour period and then attempted to flee partially-clothed from Harlow's home in George Avenue, Ibstock, in the early hours, but was pinned to the ground by Beadman.

The landscape gardener later killed her and dumped her body in a hedgerow, before returning to Harlow’s flat to collect his keys and Kayleigh’s belongings, which he abandoned in a skip along with his own bloodstained clothing.

An inquest heard that the teenager died of head and facial injuries and had to be identified by dental records.

Harlow groomed Kayleigh on social media

Former warehouse worker Luke Harlow had groomed the 15-year-old after the two exchanged messages via Facebook. During a police interview, he said: "I can't remember if I added her or she added me. I'm not 100% sure...I have a habit of accepting anyone regardless of whether the name rings a bell."

The court also heard he had communicated with two other young girls, a 13-year-old girl and another 15-year-old girl.

Beadman first told police he could not remember what happened as he was drunk

When questioned after his arrest, Beadman initially told police he could not remember what had happened because he had been drinking. He later confessed to first raping the teenager, then killing her.

More details on the case can be seen at ITV Central.