Dad Of One Who Murdered Student For Refusing His Sexual Advances Gets Life Sentence

A 31-year-old man who strangled a teenage student to death after she turned down his sexual advances has been jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years.

The lifeless body of Lily Sullivan was found partially naked face down in the water near Mill Pond that lies in the shadow of Pembroke Castle in West Wales, the United Kingdom in the early hours on Dec. 17, 2021.

Sullivan was found dead just a few hours after meeting the accused, Lewis Haines, for the first time at a nightclub called 'The Out'.

They kissed, cuddled and chatted in a secluded walkway but after an hour Sullivan ‘decided she was going home’, Swansea Crown Court was told.

"On the 17th of December Lewis Haines took a lift to Pembroke and went to Paddles nightclub now known as The Out," prosecutor Michael Cray said.

"While he was there he met Lily who he did not know prior to that evening."

"They are seen on CCTV in conversation at a table before they left separately."

The pair were seen together on CCTV in a nearby lane, but there was then a "gap" in the video recording.

"Haines was later seen crossing the mill pond bridge - he was running towards Pembroke Dock," Cray said.

"Lily was found deceased in the mill pond sometime later."

In the court, the father-of-one admitted murdering Sullivan but insisted the attack was not sexually motivated, which would have lowered the sentencing threshold from 30 to 15 years.

However,a hearing at the court revealed how the victim’s crop top was found on the bank of the water, reports said.

His Honour Judge Paul Thomas of the Swansea Crown Court ruled that Haines killed Lily out of frustration that his sexual advances were rejected.

Judge Thomas said: "I am sure Lily decided she was going home. Fuelled as he was by drink, I am sure Mr Haines was frustrated by this. He became forceful; she resisted."

Haines claimed Sullivan had threatened to accuse him of rape, leading the judge to conclude that he lashed out as he ‘couldn’t risk her surviving’.

Judge Thomas added: "He strangled Lily in order to prevent her telling people he had tried to get her to go further than she was willing."

"His intention was to silence her. He didn’t want anyone to know what had happened in the lane."

"I am sure that Lily did not remove her own top voluntarily. I am sure that Mr Haines took it off her before he put her in the pond."

"My firm view is that when he got forceful Lily did say that she would complain that he had tried to force himself upon her,"Judge Thomas said.

Haines will be jailed for life in prison, with a minimum of 23 years.