''Pure evil'' Mays jailed for life for murder of Louise Smith 16
Thirty-year-old Shane Mays has been sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 25 years, for the murder of Louise Smith in Hampshire back in May.
Following a trial at Winchester Crown Court, Mays who was married to 16-year-old Louise's aunt, was found guilty of killing the teenager.
The 'vulnerable' schoolgirl had ''quarrelled'' with her mother, and then moved in with the defendant Shane Mays and his wife Chazlynn Jayne (CJ) Mays at the end of April.
However, arguments broke out between the three and Louise complained to her boyfriend, Bradley Kercher, that Mays would "flirt" with her and pin her down.
James Newton-Price QC, prosecuting, told the trial: "Louise was just 16, she was anxious, needy, fragile and vulnerable, vulnerable to the attentions of a predatory man who was apparently flirting with her and living in the same small flat."
He suggested Mays had persuaded Louise to walk with him to the woodland by offering her cannabis with the aim of sexually assaulting her.
Mays had walked with the 16-year-old to a secluded spot in Havant Thicket on VE Day on 8th May, where he repeatedly punched her in the face, causing her fatal injuries. He then burned her body, which was found 13 days later following a major police search.
Despite admitting playing a part in Louise’s death and entering a guilty plea to manslaughter, Mays denied murder.
During the proceedings at Winchester Crown Court, James Newton-Price QC, prosecuting, told the trial, "A determined attempt had been made to destroy her body, which was so badly burned and damaged by fire as to be unrecognisable."
The court heard a clinical review of the defendant found he had an "extremely low" IQ of 63, putting him in the bottom one percentile of people.
Mays told the court he had not worked for five years and spent nine hours a day playing video games.
In handing down the sentence today, Mrs Justice May DBE said that she was sure Mays had "grotesquely and cruelly" killed Louise and defiled her body.
A victim impact statement from Louise's mother, Rebecca Cooper, was read to the court.
Louise's father Bradley Smith said he was "tortured by nightmares", and said: "Louise was a beautiful daughter and I have been robbed of what was to be my time with her.".
After the sentencing, the Senior Investigating Officer from Hampshire Police had this to say: