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| Stuart Hazell must serve 38 years for Tia Sharp murder | Stuart Hazell must serve 38 years for Tia Sharp murder |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Stuart Hazell has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 12-year-old Tia Sharp and will have to serve a minimum of 38 years before he can be considered for release. | Stuart Hazell has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 12-year-old Tia Sharp and will have to serve a minimum of 38 years before he can be considered for release. |
| The 37-year-old murdered Tia in August 2012. he was the partner of Tia's grandmother, Christine Bicknell, with whom he lived in New Addington, south London. | |
| On Monday Hazell changed his not guilty plea and admitted his guilt on the fifth day of his trial at the Old Bailey in central London. | On Monday Hazell changed his not guilty plea and admitted his guilt on the fifth day of his trial at the Old Bailey in central London. |
| Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The judge, Mr Justice Nicol, had to decide the term Hazell must serve before he could even be considered for release on licence. He took into account aggravating factors. | |
| Hazell had a history of viewing paedophile material online. Hazell admitted that he had murdered the child after the jury heard days of compelling evidence against him. | Hazell had a history of viewing paedophile material online. Hazell admitted that he had murdered the child after the jury heard days of compelling evidence against him. |
| After he killed her on 2 or 3 August 2012, Hazell photographed Tia naked in a sexual position, and police recovered memory cards containing pictures of child pornography and bestiality which he had hidden. | After he killed her on 2 or 3 August 2012, Hazell photographed Tia naked in a sexual position, and police recovered memory cards containing pictures of child pornography and bestiality which he had hidden. |
| Hazell had become obsessed with Tia, secretly filming her applying cream to her legs, and even searching websites on incest while her family and members of the public searched for her after she disappeared. | Hazell had become obsessed with Tia, secretly filming her applying cream to her legs, and even searching websites on incest while her family and members of the public searched for her after she disappeared. |
| There were sobs and a shout of "beast" from the public gallery as Hazell was sentenced. Bicknell could be seen crying and hugging a relative. | |
| Addressing Hazell, Mr Justice Nicol said of Tia: "She was a sparky girl who was full of life but you took that life from her. All that lay ahead of her – a career, loves and family of her own – will now never be. And the loss of her has been devastating for her mother, her father and all her relatives and friends. | |
| "The tragedy of their loss and her death is because of your act in murdering Tia Sharp. You are responsible." | |
| Some of Tia's relatives shouted "Nowhere near long enough" of the sentence, and "RIP Tia" as they walked past journalists waiting outside the court. | |
| The judge said it was most likely that Tia was smothered, and it was clear that Hazell had developed a sexual interest in her. | |
| "The records of your internet searching on your mobile phone make abundantly clear that you were looking out for pornographic pictures of pre-teen girls, which Tia was; pornographic pictures of girls who wore glasses, which Tia did; even pictures involving incest. | |
| "Tia was not your blood relation, but there was the bond between you because of your relationship with Christine, and from time to time you referred to yourself as Tia's grandfather. | |
| "You took pictures of Tia while she was asleep. In other contexts they would have been of no interest, but your internet activity included searches for pornographic pictures of young girls sleeping." | |
| However, the judge said he could not be sure that Tia's murder was sexually motivated, which would have meant a whole-life jail term, and that it could not be proved to the criminal standard that the photograph was taken of Tia after she died. He said the aggravating features in the case were "notable and serious". | |
| Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola said: "I am very pleased at today's sentence. A minimum of 38 years is satisfying for both the investigating team and Tia's friends and family. | |
| "Hazell will have a very long time in prison to think about what he has done." | |
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