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Stuart Hazell must serve 38 years for Tia Sharp murder Stuart Hazell must serve 38 years for Tia Sharp murder
(34 minutes 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 in prison for the murder of 12-year-old Tia Sharp and must 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. The 37-year-old escaped a whole-life sentence which would have meant he was never released, after the judge said he could not be sure that the murder was sexually motivated.
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. Mr Justice Nicol said Hazell had been sexually interested in Tia, sexually assaulted her and photographed the child's body in a sexual pose.
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. There were shouts of "beast" from the public gallery at the Old Bailey and some relatives outside court said of the sentence: "Nowhere near long enough".
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 murdered Tia, whom the judge described as "a sparky girl who was full of life", in August 2012. Hazell was the partner of Tia's grandmother, Christine Bicknell, with whom he lived in New Addington, south London.
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. On Monday Hazell changed his not guilty plea to guilty on the fifth day of his trial in central London.
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. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. Mr Justice Nicol said he had to decide whether to impose a whole-life tariff, which is done when the seriousness of a murder is exceptionally high, such as in the case of a sexually motivated murder of a child. Having decided he could not be sure that was the case, the judge had to determine the term Hazell must serve before he could even be considered for release on licence.
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. The judge said Hazell had "developed a sexual interest in Tia", secretly filming her applying cream to her legs, and searching websites on incest while her family and members of the public looked for her following her disappearance.
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. Hazell had a history of viewing paedophile material online, with police recovering memory cards containing pictures of child pornography and bestiality which he had hidden.
"The tragedy of their loss and her death is because of your act in murdering Tia Sharp. You are responsible." Hazell killed Tia on 2 or 3 August 2012, most likely by smothering her, the judge said. Hazell had photographed her naked on 3 August in a sexual position on her bed.
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. Mr Justice Nicol said Tia's blood and Hazell's semen had been found on the bedding in her room. The girl's blood and DNA was also found on a sexual device in the drawer of a bedside table in Hazell's room.
The judge said it was most likely that Tia was smothered, and it was clear that Hazell had developed a sexual interest in her. "Your counsel accepts that the only sensible conclusion which I can draw is that there was sexual conduct of some kind between you and Tia at some point over the night 2nd and 3rd August."
"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. The judge noted there was no pathological evidence of a sexual assault.
"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. Mr Justice Nicol said: "I come back to the question of whether I can be sure that sexual motivation was involved in Tia's murder. I have decided that I cannot.
"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." "Sexual activity and conduct took place not long before her death, but in order for sexual motivation to be involved in her murder, there would need to be a closer connection than that.
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". "Shame and fear of what might happen if Tia talked are just two of the alternative possible motives behind her killing."
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. Mr Justice Nicol said the starting point was a minimum term of 30 years' imprisonment, but a string of aggravating factors increased the minimum sentence to 38 years. The judge said these factors were Tia's age, the breach of trust involved in Hazell attacking and murdering the granddaughter of his partner. Other aggravating factors were the fact that Hazell took a "degrading" photograph of the child naked and in a sexual position, and then concealed the body in the loft until it was found decomposed, meting out more agony to her family.
The judge told Hazell that "time after time, you spun the wholly false story that Tia had left home on the Friday morning and just disappeared". Indeed as Tia's family waited for news of her, Hazell play-acted in front of the TV cameras urging her to come home.
His previous convictions for drug dealing and assault were also taken into account, though the judge said they did not include a sexual offence or serious violence.
The judge said Hazell's guilty plea as the prosecution presented the fifth day of its case earned him only "modest credit" as it came after harrowing evidence was heard by Tia's family and the jury.
Mr Justice Nicol said Tia had been fond of Hazell, who was betrayed the trust placed in him "in the most grievous way possible".
"Christine [Bicknell] says she [Tia] idolised you. She was certainly happy to spend much time in your ….
"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 of her relatives and friends. The tragedy of their loss and her death is because of your act in murdering Tia Sharp. You are responsible."
After the sentence, 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.""Hazell will have a very long time in prison to think about what he has done."
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