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| Life for pregnant woman's killer | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A man who shot dead a pregnant woman in an "execution" after a row between neighbours has been jailed for life. | |
| Thomas Hughes, 40, of Stonells Road in Battersea, south-west London, shot Krystal Hart, 22, on the doorstep of her flat in Belleville Road, Battersea. | |
| The Old Bailey heard Miss Hart was two months' pregnant when she was shot twice in the head in April last year. | |
| Hughes, who was said to have carried out the killing in revenge for the row, was ordered to serve at least 30 years. | |
| Aftab Jafferjee, prosecuting, said: "The killing took place against a background of a long-running and ugly neighbour dispute that had been festering for some months. | Aftab Jafferjee, prosecuting, said: "The killing took place against a background of a long-running and ugly neighbour dispute that had been festering for some months. |
| "It can only be described as an execution." | "It can only be described as an execution." |
| Miss Hart had lived her housing association flat for about a year but soon after moving in she fell out with her downstairs "neighbour from hell" Angie Brewer, 53, the court heard. | |
| It was a ruthless execution and a truly evil act Judge Anthony Morris | It was a ruthless execution and a truly evil act Judge Anthony Morris |
| Jurors heard Hughes, a loner who lived in a nearby dilapidated house with his 81-year-old, wheelchair-bound mother, was besotted with Miss Brewer. | Jurors heard Hughes, a loner who lived in a nearby dilapidated house with his 81-year-old, wheelchair-bound mother, was besotted with Miss Brewer. |
| He carried out the killing hours after Miss Hart's boyfriend, David Siveter, had written down his car registration during a row in the front garden with Miss Brewer. | He carried out the killing hours after Miss Hart's boyfriend, David Siveter, had written down his car registration during a row in the front garden with Miss Brewer. |
| Judge Anthony Morris said: "It was a ruthless execution and a truly evil act. | Judge Anthony Morris said: "It was a ruthless execution and a truly evil act. |
| "You were devoted to Angie Brewer and would do anything you could to ingratiate yourself to her. | "You were devoted to Angie Brewer and would do anything you could to ingratiate yourself to her. |
| "It is a sign of your warped mentality that you took the rantings of that demented woman seriously." | "It is a sign of your warped mentality that you took the rantings of that demented woman seriously." |
| CCTV installed | CCTV installed |
| The court heard there was on ongoing county court action between the two women who had both installed CCTV to gather evidence against each other. | The court heard there was on ongoing county court action between the two women who had both installed CCTV to gather evidence against each other. |
| The court heard that after the row Brewer called the police to complain and then telephoned Hughes, who later returned with a gun. | The court heard that after the row Brewer called the police to complain and then telephoned Hughes, who later returned with a gun. |
| The court heard that he was looking for Mr Siveter and when told he was not home banged at the door and demanded Miss Hart open it, calling out: "Come out b****." | The court heard that he was looking for Mr Siveter and when told he was not home banged at the door and demanded Miss Hart open it, calling out: "Come out b****." |
| Miss Brewer, who could be heard pleading "No" on CCTV footage, became hysterical as shots were fired, the court was told. | |
| During the trial jurors were shown the CCTV, in which the sound of two gunshots could be heard and Hughes could be seen hurrying away. | |
| In a statement read to the court Miss Hart's mother, Debbie Penfold, expressed the heartache of losing her daughter. | In a statement read to the court Miss Hart's mother, Debbie Penfold, expressed the heartache of losing her daughter. |
| She said: "I have lost one daughter and her unborn child, my first grandchild. | She said: "I have lost one daughter and her unborn child, my first grandchild. |
| "All I see is a tiny baby that didn't get the chance to be born into this world. | "All I see is a tiny baby that didn't get the chance to be born into this world. |
| "When that gun was fired at Krystal, the baby's fate was ended." | "When that gun was fired at Krystal, the baby's fate was ended." |