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| Convicted sex offender must serve 37 years for Catherine Gowing murder | Convicted sex offender must serve 37 years for Catherine Gowing murder |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A convicted sex offender who admitted harbouring fantasies about imprisoning and killing women has been jailed for life for the horrific rape and murder of a vet. | A convicted sex offender who admitted harbouring fantasies about imprisoning and killing women has been jailed for life for the horrific rape and murder of a vet. |
| Clive Sharp, 46, crept into Catherine Gowing's home in the middle of the night, tied her to the bed and repeatedly raped her. He then dismembered her body and disposed of her remains in and around the river Dee in Cheshire and north Wales. | Clive Sharp, 46, crept into Catherine Gowing's home in the middle of the night, tied her to the bed and repeatedly raped her. He then dismembered her body and disposed of her remains in and around the river Dee in Cheshire and north Wales. |
| Jailing Sharp, Mr Justice Griffith Williams told him: "This is a horrific, cold-hearted murder, carried out to gratify your perverted sexual desires." He said Sharp would serve at least 37 years before he could be considered for parole. | Jailing Sharp, Mr Justice Griffith Williams told him: "This is a horrific, cold-hearted murder, carried out to gratify your perverted sexual desires." He said Sharp would serve at least 37 years before he could be considered for parole. |
| Gowing, who was from the Irish Republic, settled in Wales after qualifying as a vet and lived with a friend, Jane Doyle, near Mold. | Gowing, who was from the Irish Republic, settled in Wales after qualifying as a vet and lived with a friend, Jane Doyle, near Mold. |
| Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, said it was Gowing's "great misfortune" that Doyle began a relationship with Sharp, a factory worker. | Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, said it was Gowing's "great misfortune" that Doyle began a relationship with Sharp, a factory worker. |
| On Friday 12 October last year, Gowing, 37, was at home alone because her friend was away visiting family, Thomas told Mold crown court. | On Friday 12 October last year, Gowing, 37, was at home alone because her friend was away visiting family, Thomas told Mold crown court. |
| Sharp spent the evening with another women he was secretly seeing. He tied her to a bed but they argued over sexual acts he wanted to perform with her and he walked out leaving her trussed up. | Sharp spent the evening with another women he was secretly seeing. He tied her to a bed but they argued over sexual acts he wanted to perform with her and he walked out leaving her trussed up. |
| said Sharp went to Gowing's house where he bound her, raped and killed her. | said Sharp went to Gowing's house where he bound her, raped and killed her. |
| The next day he bought items including bin bags, a petrol can, a hacksaw and blades. He dismembered her body and wrapped at least some of the parts in the bin bags before setting fire to Gowing's car to hide evidence. | The next day he bought items including bin bags, a petrol can, a hacksaw and blades. He dismembered her body and wrapped at least some of the parts in the bin bags before setting fire to Gowing's car to hide evidence. |
| When Gowing did not turn up for work, she was reported missing and police launched a search. Her right hand, foot and torso were found by police divers. | When Gowing did not turn up for work, she was reported missing and police launched a search. Her right hand, foot and torso were found by police divers. |
| No cause of death could be established and not all the victim's remains have been recovered. Sharp was arrested within days and admitted murder last month. | No cause of death could be established and not all the victim's remains have been recovered. Sharp was arrested within days and admitted murder last month. |
| The court heard on Monday that Sharp had previous convictions for violent and sexual offences. When he was 16, he held a piece of broken glass to a 15-year-old girl's throat and raped her. In 1994, he was jailed for an attack on a friend's wife. Two years later, he was jailed again, this time for eight years, for imprisoning and wounding a woman at his bedsit – although he was released from prison before serving the full term. | The court heard on Monday that Sharp had previous convictions for violent and sexual offences. When he was 16, he held a piece of broken glass to a 15-year-old girl's throat and raped her. In 1994, he was jailed for an attack on a friend's wife. Two years later, he was jailed again, this time for eight years, for imprisoning and wounding a woman at his bedsit – although he was released from prison before serving the full term. |
| The court heard he had told officials and doctors in the past that his offending could escalate and described a fantasy in which a woman is imprisoned, raped and strangled or drowned. | The court heard he had told officials and doctors in the past that his offending could escalate and described a fantasy in which a woman is imprisoned, raped and strangled or drowned. |
| When he came out of prison in the early 90s, he married and there was no evidence of him committing any other offences. He was not on the sexual offenders register because his last sexual offence pre-dated its introduction. His final contact with the probation service was 2001. | When he came out of prison in the early 90s, he married and there was no evidence of him committing any other offences. He was not on the sexual offenders register because his last sexual offence pre-dated its introduction. His final contact with the probation service was 2001. |
| Sharp's marriage ended in 2011 and he had a number of short liaisons before beginning a relationship with Gowing's friend. | Sharp's marriage ended in 2011 and he had a number of short liaisons before beginning a relationship with Gowing's friend. |
| Speaking outside court, Gowing's sister, Emma, said: "She was a beautiful light. She shone very brightly. She enriched the lives of all she encountered, all God's creatures. Her light is gone from our mortal world. She now shines elsewhere." | Speaking outside court, Gowing's sister, Emma, said: "She was a beautiful light. She shone very brightly. She enriched the lives of all she encountered, all God's creatures. Her light is gone from our mortal world. She now shines elsewhere." |
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