SHEFFIELD MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR BRUTAL HOUSEMATE MURDER
A man who murdered his housemate before stealing her possessions has been sentenced to life imprisonment.David Scott, aged 40, bludgeoned Sarah Brierley, aged 49, to death with a blunt object at her home in Woodhouse, Sheffield, in February.
Following the murder, he left her body to decompose as he and his partner Zoe Clark, aged 42, removed items including a television from the flat.
Scott, from Abbeyfield Road, Burngreave, was convicted of murder and theft at Sheffield Crown Court and received a minimum sentence of 29 years.
Clark, of Skelton Lane, Woodhouse, was acquitted of the murder but found guilty of theft and sentenced to a year in prison.
The investigation revealed that Ms Brierley's body was discovered wrapped in a duvet on a sofa in her flat, after police raided the property as part of an unrelated investigation.
A post-mortem report indicated she died from serious head injuries inflicted by at least five blows with a blunt instrument such as a hammer, and her body showed no signs of self-defence injuries.
Police also found traces of rat poison near her body.
Prosecutor David Brooke stated that Scott and Clark were seen visiting Ms Brierley's flat in the days before her body was found, with Scott making incriminating admissions in text messages about the killing, saying he had 'done it' and was 'looking at 20 years'.
He also expressed concern to Clark in a love letter, writing: 'I can do 20 years, if I know you're there at the end.' The investigation was led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles, who said: 'Sarah died at the hands of someone she trusted enough to live with her.
The intent of Scott has never come to light, and we do not know why he decided to end an innocent woman's life.
I hope today's verdict and knowing that Scott will spend time behind bars helps bring closure to those who knew Sarah.' In addition, Scott was convicted of a robbery unrelated to Ms Brierley's murder, where he attacked a man with a hammer.
