Lily Sullivan: Mother saw the man who killed her daughter moments after he'd strangled her

The mother of a murdered teenage girl unknowingly saw her daughter's killer moments after he'd strangled her, a court has heard.

Lily Sullivan, 18, was strangled by Lewis Haines, 31, before she was left topless face down in the water at a beauty spot.

CCTV seen in court showed the moment he walked past Lily's mum, Anna Sullivan, at the nearby Green Garage while she waited to pick her daughter up.

Lily spoke to her mum on the phone at 2.47am, on December 16 last year, when she said: "I'll be there now mam. I'm on my way. I'm a couple of minutes away. I'm nearly there."

The court heard the call was then cut off before Mrs Sullivan attempted to call her daughter back 30 times but her phone went to voicemail.

Mrs Sullivan then spotted Haines walking away from the murder scene when he "began to act strangely" and started running with his head in his hands.

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 is set to decide whether the attack was sexually motivated before handing down his sentence.

The hearing continues.