Murderer who killed Leeds teenager Leanne Tiernan given longer sentence

A murderer who is serving a life sentence for abducting and killing a teenage girl in Leeds nearly two decades ago has been given a whole life tariff after admitting a string of further offences.

John Taylor, who is 62, was told he will spend the rest of his life behind bars after details emerged about his "20-year campaign of rape and sexual assaults against children and women, fuelled by a sadistic desire to inflict pain for sexual gratification".

He was sentenced today after earlier admitting 16 additional offences against five victims - the first dating back to 1977.

He appeared on video link at Leeds Crown Court as prosecutors spent two hours outlining shocking details of his assaults, including one on a terrified seven-year-old girl and another which was witnessed by his pregnant victim's three small children.

The investigation into the historic offences was led by West Yorkshire Police's 'cold case' team.

Taylor is already in prison for the fatal attack on 16-year-old Leanne Tiernan.

She was grabbed from a woodland path in Bramley and was sexually assaulted in November 2000. The teenager was then killed at Taylor's home. He admitted the murder almost two years later.