Killer's lies see him likened to Ian Huntley

Central
Monday 3 December 2018 at 6:23pm

Michael Stirling has been jailed for almost 17 years Credit: Staffordshire Police

A senior police officer has likened Michael Stirling to child killer Ian Huntley due to the way he lied in the days after committing murder.

Today a Judge sentenced Stirling to life in prison, with a minimum sentence of almost 17 years.

He admitted smothering midwife Samantha Eastwood to death in July after an argument over their secret affair.

Stirling is married to the sister of Samantha's former fiance.

After sentencing Detective Inspector Dan Ison compared the 32-year-old to murdered Ian Huntley due to his 'lies in the days after killing Samantha Eastwood, and how he helped police and her family search for her.'

These lies included that within hours of killing Samantha, Stirling had dinner with his family, whilst his van, with Samantha's body in, was parked outside. His wife described him as being 'normal and cheerful.'

Later that evening, when the alarm had been raised that Samantha was missing, Stirling told his wife he was going out looking for her.

Instead he buried her in a shallow grave, before going to her house and talking to her friend and police officers.

Samantha's sister Gemma told the court she is 'haunted' by the fact that Stirling hugged her that evening.

That comment was part of her impact statement, and statements were also read from Samantha's friend and former fiance John Peake (who's sister is married to Stirling).

They show that the compassion they received from Stirling in the days and hours after Samantha's disappearance made it worse when they discovered he had killed her.

In summing up the Judge also described the 'breathtaking cruelty' of Stirling texting Gemma the day after Samantha went missing, pretending to be the midwife.

The messages said things such as 'please leave me alone' and 'I've had a massive breakdown.'

The final message even pretended that she was with another man:

The judge said the messages were part of the way that Stirling 'lied again and again' to cover up what he had done.

Samantha's body was found after police spotted Stirling near where he had buried her.

He initially refused to answer police questions, before pleading guilty in October.