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| Pub manager murdered fiancee boss | Pub manager murdered fiancee boss |
| (about 12 hours later) | |
| A pub manager has been jailed for 19 years for murdering his landlady fiancee and storing her body for three days while he drank at other pubs. | A pub manager has been jailed for 19 years for murdering his landlady fiancee and storing her body for three days while he drank at other pubs. |
| David Kirsch was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of the murder of Julie Butler, 49, in October last year. | David Kirsch was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of the murder of Julie Butler, 49, in October last year. |
| The jury of nine women and three men had been shown CCTV footage of Kirsch strangling Ms Butler at the Imperial Standard pub in Aldershot, Hampshire. | The jury of nine women and three men had been shown CCTV footage of Kirsch strangling Ms Butler at the Imperial Standard pub in Aldershot, Hampshire. |
| Kirsch, 42, was found not guilty of two counts of sexual acts with a corpse. | Kirsch, 42, was found not guilty of two counts of sexual acts with a corpse. |
| Janice Brennan, prosecuting, told the trial that Kirsch, who had drunk six Jack Daniels and four pints of lager, could be seen putting his hand around his partner's throat in the footage causing her to pass out. | Janice Brennan, prosecuting, told the trial that Kirsch, who had drunk six Jack Daniels and four pints of lager, could be seen putting his hand around his partner's throat in the footage causing her to pass out. |
| He then hit her with a bar stool and left her to die over a period of 21 minutes in the early hours of 8 October last year. | He then hit her with a bar stool and left her to die over a period of 21 minutes in the early hours of 8 October last year. |
| Craft knife | Craft knife |
| The next morning he pulled her body into the men's toilets at the pub where he dressed her in fresh clothes, kissed her and covered her face with beer towels. | The next morning he pulled her body into the men's toilets at the pub where he dressed her in fresh clothes, kissed her and covered her face with beer towels. |
| Kirsch lived in the pub for nearly three days afterwards leaving only to drink at other pubs and to place bets. | |
| Ms Butler's body was found on October 10 by the area manager of the brewery and a colleague who entered the pub through an open window. | Ms Butler's body was found on October 10 by the area manager of the brewery and a colleague who entered the pub through an open window. |
| The murder took place at Aldershot's Imperial Standard pub | The murder took place at Aldershot's Imperial Standard pub |
| The court heard that before discovering the body, the two men found notes left by Kirsch in which he confessed to the killing but said he had not intended it. | The court heard that before discovering the body, the two men found notes left by Kirsch in which he confessed to the killing but said he had not intended it. |
| One note read: "I do not know what I have done but I do not deserve to live. | One note read: "I do not know what I have done but I do not deserve to live. |
| "I am appalled at what happened, I do not know how it happened. I let everyone down." | "I am appalled at what happened, I do not know how it happened. I let everyone down." |
| After police sealed off the scene, Kirsch arrived holding a craft knife to his own throat and had to be tackled by officers. | After police sealed off the scene, Kirsch arrived holding a craft knife to his own throat and had to be tackled by officers. |
| Kirsch told police that Ms Butler had attacked him in a drunken rage because he flirted with a customer and he had acted in self-defence. | Kirsch told police that Ms Butler had attacked him in a drunken rage because he flirted with a customer and he had acted in self-defence. |