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Man jailed for daughter's murder | Man jailed for daughter's murder |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A man who killed his daughter with chloroform after his wife had an affair with a judge has been jailed for life. | |
Hospital radiographer Gavin Hall, 33, killed three-year-old Amelia as her mother and sister slept in their Northamptonshire home. | Hospital radiographer Gavin Hall, 33, killed three-year-old Amelia as her mother and sister slept in their Northamptonshire home. |
Hall, of Grey Street, Irchester, had admitted manslaughter at Northampton Crown Court, but denied murder. | Hall, of Grey Street, Irchester, had admitted manslaughter at Northampton Crown Court, but denied murder. |
After killing Amelia, Hall made an unsuccessful attempt at suicide. He will serve a minimum term of 15 years. | After killing Amelia, Hall made an unsuccessful attempt at suicide. He will serve a minimum term of 15 years. |
The trial heard Hall fed Amelia, known as Millie, anti-depressant pills to make her drowsy, before smothering her on 29 November last year. | |
Found under duvet | |
He sat and cuddled his daughter for over an hour before smothering her with a rag soaked with the anaesthetic chlorofom. | |
Hall's wife, Joanne Hall, now known as Joanne Rainsley, found her daughter dead under a duvet on the living room floor the following morning. | Hall's wife, Joanne Hall, now known as Joanne Rainsley, found her daughter dead under a duvet on the living room floor the following morning. |
Gavin Hall had been off work on sick leave | |
Millie died two days before her fourth birthday. | |
Jurors heard the discovery of his wife's affair with a married part-time judge, whom she met through a sex contact advert on the internet, sparked his emotional breakdown which led to the killing. | Jurors heard the discovery of his wife's affair with a married part-time judge, whom she met through a sex contact advert on the internet, sparked his emotional breakdown which led to the killing. |
Miss Rainsley met the married father, who was a solicitor and part-time judge, through a sex contact website for married people in September last year. | |
The pair exchanged pictures of themselves naked and described in graphic detail fantasies of what they wanted to do with each other. | |
After repeated email conversations between the pair, they arranged to meet in Northampton - while the judge was on a residential legal course. | |
Sick leave | |
Defence counsel Nicholas Atkinson QC said Hall demanded to read all the emails after discovering the affair last year. | |
Despite constant reassurances that the fling was over, the judge and Hall's wife continued to have contact, the court heard. | |
Off work on sick leave and prescribed anti-depressants, Hall, fed Millie one of those pills to make her drowsy, before murdering her. | |
Hall tried to kill himself with the chloroform and cut his neck, thighs and arms. | |
He was convicted by a jury at Northampton Crown Court after a six-day trial. |