Man found guilty of murdering Havant teenager Louise Smith
WATCH: Rachel Hepworth's report on the police investigation that led to the conviction of Shane Mays. She spoke to DI Adam Edwards, the senior investigating officer on the case.
A Hampshire man has been found guilty of murdering teenager Louise Smith, before burning her body and trying to deflect the blame onto others.
Shane Mays, 30, had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter, after punching the 16 year old repeatedly in the head after he lost his temper with her.
But he denied murder, telling the jury at Winchester Crown Court that he had left Louise injured but alive at a remote spot in Havant Thicket on May the 8th.
Her body was found, "defiled and burned" 13 days later. She had suffered multiple blows to her head causing her facial bone structure to collapse.
The judge, Mrs Justice May, adjourned the case for sentencing on Wednesday. Thanking the jury she said: "You cannot have imagined that you would sit on a case like this. I want to thank each of you for the attention you have given and your attendance during the pandemic".
Shane Mays will appear at Winchester Crown Court tomorrow (9th December) for sentencing.
Louise Smith, described as a vulnerable and impressionable child who suffered from depression and self-harming, had moved in with her aunt Chazlynn Mays, known as CJ, and her husband Shane Mays, at the end of April.
The court heard the arrangement had appeared to be working, but became fractious after the adults imposed a curfew on Louise and tried to stop her from smoking cannabis.
On May 8th, as the nation celebrated VE Day, Mays lured Louise into remote woodland at Havant Thicket, a mile or so from the Leigh Park estate where they lived.
Mays and Louise were caught on CCTV the day before her disappearance
Mays told the court that the pair had an argument about drugs, that Louise attacked him with a stick and that he fought back. He admitted punching her in the face multiple times until he 'heard cracks'. But he maintained that he had left Louise injured and walked home.
Initially, Mays denied any involvement in Louise's disappearance and death, acting as if he too was concerned about her whereabouts. He was caught on CCTV buying pizza for himself, CJ and Louise, just hours after he had left her for dead.
Louise's disappearance prompted a huge police search that Mays himself took part in. He told police that he had walked Louise to a skate park in Emsworth three miles away, deflecting attention from himself and keeping up the charade with family and friends
The Prosecution allege that he murdered Louise after she spurned his sexual advances, defiling her body with a stick and later setting fire to her body to cover his tracks.
Because of Mays' lies, it was not until two weeks later that her body was found, prolonging the agony for her family and friends.
At her funeral in July, thousands lined the streets around Leigh Park to pay their respects, and 500 motorcyclists joined the cortege.
Mays however, who was still protesting his innocence, was already the prime suspect, due to inconsistencies in his stories, and forensic evidence recovered at the scene.
A spot of Louise's blood was found on his trainers, and Mays' DNA was found on a stick that was used to defile Louise's body. When her mobile phone was recovered it revealed data about her last movements, inconsistent with Mays' account. It also revealed a video of Mays playfully tickling her feet, and flirting with her.
Shane Mays filmed tickling Louise's feet in a Snapchat video
He was charged with murder, but while on remand in Bristol remembered that he had attacked Louise, changing his plea and admitting manslaughter.
But he was tried for murder and the jury agreed that he HAD intended to kill the 16 year old, and tried to cover his tracks to get away with it.
HAMPSHIRE POLICE INVESTIGATION
306 police officers involved in the search for Louise
8,250 search hours
Search covered 6.25 million square metres
More than 1000 individual lines of inquiry
1000 hours of CCTV viewed
Detective Inspector Adam Edwards, who led the inquiry, said Mays had put Louise's family and friends through hell both by his actions, and his refusal to admit his guilt.