Lily Sullivan: Killer tells court he wanted to 'silence' 18-year-old murder victim

The killer of a teenage girl strangled her to death - in a sexually motivated attack - when she tried to leave to find her mother, a judge has ruled.

Lily Sullivan, 18, was murdered by father-of-one, Lewis Haines, 31, before she was left semi-naked in a beauty spot pond.

Judge Paul Thomas QC ruled on Tuesday (August 23) that the murder was sexually motivated after Lily had tried to leave the lane to find her mother who was waiting nearby.

The judge said Haines had become "frustrated" when Lily made it clear she did not want "to go as far as sexual intercourse."

Haines claimed that he strangled Lily when she threatened to tell people he was a "rapist" and said his daughter would be "ashamed".

Judge Thomas said: "I find that she did say that she would complain. Not that he had raped her but that he tried to force himself upon her when she intended to go to meet her mother."

The court heard Haines had a "great deal to lose" because he was in a relationship and also has a daughter - and had wanted to "silence" Lily.

The judge said: "Lewis Haines struck Lily on several occasions. That was done with significant force.

"He then strangled her, probably to death, before putting her in the Mill Pond where she would not be easily seen at night in the murky water.

"I do not accept that he went into the water to save Lily. If he went in it was to put her there and not to pull her out.

"His intention was to silence her. He had a phone with him at all times. He was close to the main street albeit late at night. He past many houses."

He added: "Her going into the water was a deliberate act on his part. He did not want anyone to know what had happened in the lane. He did not want her to tell anybody.

"It was only after he knew that she would not survive that he let others known where Lily was. By then it was too late."

The court heard Haines had shown "sexual interest" in Lily during the night out before he was warned off by friends.

Prosecutor William Hughes QC said: "He was warned off more than once and reminded that he had a girlfriend, that he had a child, and Lily's age of 18 being cited."

Haines fled the scene when he was captured on CCTV walking past Lily's mum Anna Sullivan at the nearby Green Garage.

Mrs Sullivan had been waiting to pick her daughter up after speaking to her on the phone at 2.47am.

Lily told her mother: "I'll be there now mam. I'm on my way. I'm a couple of minutes away. I'm nearly there" - but the call was cut short.

Mrs Sullivan attempted to call her daughter back 30 times before she spotted Haines walking away from the murder scene.

Mr Hughes said: "Anna Sullivan decided to follow Lewis Haines due to his behaviour. She lost sight of him as he disappeared into the woods.

"Mr Haines was aware that Anna Sullivan was waiting for Lily at that location."

He added: "The person Anna Sullivan saw at this point was her daughter's killer Lewis Haines."Lily was pronounced dead at 6.02am on December 17 last year. A post mortem by Dr Stephen Leadbeatter found her injuries consistent with "manual strangulation."

Haines told police: "I strangled her" when they arrived at the address. He later said "What the f*** have I done?" at the custody desk at the station.

Haines previously admitted manslaughter but pleaded guilty to murder a week before his trial.

Judge Paul Thomas QC adjourned the hearing for sentencing on Friday August 26.