Man jailed for life after murdering his girlfriend

MAN JAILED FOR LIFE AFTER MURDERING HIS GIRLFRIEND

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum of 24 years for murdering his girlfriend.

Norbert Maiksner, 49, suffocated 45-year-old Frances Obiefuleh by wrapping tape around her face in Havant, Hampshire, in April last year.

He was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday after a jury found him guilty of murder and child cruelty.

Her body was discovered after Maiksner was found by a highways officer walking on the hard shoulder of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and told them to call the police to tell them what he had done.

Maiksner told officers that he had killed Obiefuleh and "stated that it was all a dream and that he wanted to wake up".

His two-week trial started on 15 March but he refused to attend court or engage in proceedings.

A post-mortem examination revealed she died of smothering with injuries caused by compression of the neck and chest.

Following the verdict, Obiefuleh's family described her as "kind, intelligent, and resourceful" and a "caring and deeply loving mother, sister, aunt, and friend to many." Detective Sergeant Heather Kenwright described Maiksner's crime as "the most heinous and evil of acts".

She added that he caused "unthinkable suffering" and that her thoughts remain with Frances's family, hoping that the sentence provides some closure.