Evil killer murdered Leeds woman and bit off parts of her face in act of 'unspeakable cruelty'

Rawden Ibbitson, who had become "fixated" with the woman, spent more than an hour viciously attacking and strangling her and inflicting more than 90 injuries, including multiple fractures, a bleed to the brain and internal injuries. The victim cannot legally be named.

The 32-year-old admitted her murder and assault by penetration and was jailed at Leeds Crown Court today for life, to serve a minimum of 29 years.

Describing his actions as demonstrating "unspeakable cruelty", Judge Tom Bayliss KC said: “The crime of murder ends one life but harms many others.

“Her mother encapsulates their loss in this way. She was vibrant, caring, compassionate, loving, intelligent, funny, beautiful and worth more than the world to us.

"Here the level of sustained violence and the nature and extent of the injuries inflicted upon your victim drive the conclusion that, even if you may not have had such an intention when this assault began, you must have formed an intention to kill as the assault progressed.”

Prosecuting the case, Michelle Colborne KC said that Rawden had "become obsessed” with the victim and "bombarded" her with text messages.

She confided in friends telling them she was frightened of him and told a friend "she was living in a nightmare".

He had previously threatened to pull her teeth out with pliers, and warned her to "sleep with one eye open".

The woman’s neighbour in Leeds heard a woman screaming and banging noises next door, and pondered whether to call the police.

The body was discovered shortly before midnight and was "virtually unrecognisable".

She was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead at 12.45am.

It was later confirmed she died from multiple blunt force trauma. She suffered extensive abrasions to her head, neck and body, a fractured jaw and bruising to her head with a bleed to the brain.

There were 13 bite marks on her face, breasts, abdomen, back, forearms and thigh, a fractured rib, bleeding around her heart, bleeding in her stomach and internal injuries, the court heard.

There were also bruises to her arms where it was thought she tried to fight Rawden off. Rawden was quickly arrested but gave no comments during his police interview.

He had previously been diagnosed with mixed personality disorder, which the court heard was made worse by his use of alcohol and drugs.

On the night of the killing he had been drinking vodka but it was concluded that he had full control of his actions at the time.

He has previous convictions including GBH on a woman in 2016, repeatedly punching her when she spurned his advances. She had to escape from a first-floor window to get away from him. He was jailed for two years.

Mitigating on his behalf, Brenda Campbell KC said: "There's nothing I can say that can improve the situation. He recognises that he deserves to be punished. He is profoundly remorseful."