18-year-old and 20-year-old sentenced to life

Two men who planned and carried out the murder of a stranger within minutes of meeting him have been jailed.

The knifeman, 20-year-old Mark Law, lured the victim, Tim Smith, to join him and his friend, Mason Casey, with the promise of sexual activity.

45-year-old Smith arranged the rendezvous with Law, via the dating site, Badoo.

He drove from his home in Tamworth, Staffordshire, to pick up Law and 18-year-old Casey in Shepshed, Leicestershire, at just after 8.30pm on March 16 this year.

Law had suggested “a threesome” and Mr Smith was directed to a remote car park at nearby Gelders Hall Industrial Estate.

Leicester Crown Court was told that within one minute and 40 seconds of Mr Smith’s silver Ford Focus being captured on CCTV entering the car park, both defendants were filmed running from the scene.

Officers discovered the body of 45-year-old Tim Smith on Thursday 16 March.

A post mortem examination later revealed he died of a stab wound to the heart.

20-year-old Mark Anthony Law, of Sandringham Rise, Shepshed pleaded guilty to murder and will serve a minimum of 19 years behind bars.

His co-accused, 18-year-old Mason Casey, who was a 17-year-old juvenile at the time, was found guilty of murder and will serve a minimum of 15 years in jail.

Prosecutor, James House QC, at the centre of the case, said the exact motives behind the murder of Tim Smith remained unclear:

Prosecutor House said there were three possible reasons behind the killing:

One may have been related to the sexual fantasies of Mark Law. Another was Law's expressed interest in cannibalism. The third was simply Law's desire to own a car, which could have been achieved by stealing Smith's Ford Focus.