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| David Ryan guilty of lover Diana Lee's murder in Cheshire | David Ryan guilty of lover Diana Lee's murder in Cheshire |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A man has been found guilty of murdering his lover and mutilating the body to cover his tracks, after cheating her out of £60,000. | |
| David Ryan, 48, of Byrom Street, Altrincham, killed Diana Lee, 54, at her home in Cranage, Cheshire, last August, a jury found. | |
| Her naked body was found in the garage by firefighters called out to a blaze started by Ryan. | |
| Ryan is due to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday. | |
| Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie said Ryan targeted Ms Lee to trick her into giving him money to cover his "mountain of debt". | |
| 'Brutal and sadistic' | |
| She said: "We have been left in little doubt that Ryan′s attack on Diana − a diminutive and gentle lady - was brutal and sadistic. | |
| "He showed contempt and compounded his disregard for her when he did his utmost to remove DNA evidence and then destroy her body. | |
| "He concocted a web of lies and brutally murdered a woman who had done nothing more than fall for the charm of a conman." | |
| Ryan befriended Ms Lee, who ran the Parklands Cattery. | |
| He did not tell her he was married and tricked her into giving him cash by asking her to invest in a "bogus business", the court heard. | |
| Mr Ryan owned a glazing and conservatory firm, but was declared bankrupt in June 2012. | |
| During their two-year relationship, Ms Lee withdrew £70,000 from various accounts. | |
| After bludgeoning her to death he mutilated her body and set four fires around the house in an attempt to destroy DNA evidence, the jury was told. | |
| He then tried to "frame" Ms Lee's lodger Andrew Leese by dipping his antique German dagger in her blood and planting her underwear in his room. | |
| Mr Justice Henriques said the case against Ryan was "absolutely overwhelming". |