A
17-year-old boy obsessed with TV serial killer Dexter was jailed for 25
years today for murdering his girlfriend who he ferociously stabbed
before dismembering her body.
Steven
Miles, who was 16 at the time, committed the ‘blood-curdling’ killing
of 17-year-old Elizabeth Thomas in his bedroom at the family home in
Oxted, Surrey.
Having
stabbed her in the head and back, he dismembered her legs and an arm -
wrapping the limbs in cling film and placing them in bin bags - and
covered her body in a green plastic garden sheet.
The
teenage politics student, who had been diagnosed as having an autistic
syndrome, used saws and tools from his father’s tree surgeon business to
cut up her body.
He told his family that he had an alter ego called Ed who had instructed him to kill someone.
When
the defendant’s sister Sophie returned home to the flat about an hour
after the murder on January 24 this year, Miles told her: ‘Ed made me do
something bad.’
During
the sentencing hearing at Guildford Crown Court, the court heard that
Miles had a fascination with horror movies and the macabre and had
wanted to emulate the actions of Dexter.
Played
by actor Michael C. Hall, Dexter is the lead character of an American
TV series about a Miami police forensics officer who is also a serial
killer.
Miles
had even told a past girlfriend that he was going to kill someone, and
said in text messages to his victim: ‘You will see a lot of similarities
in the personality of Dexter and myself.’
Investigation: Forensic officers outside the home of Miles's family in Oxted, Surrey, earlier this year
Philip
Bennetts, prosecuting, said: ‘It is the prosecution case that the
killing of Elizabeth Thomas was carefully planned and pre-meditated.’
At
the time of the murder Miles was said to be reading the violent
Hannibal Trilogy, the court heard. The killer’s favourite films were
Donny Darko, Fight Club and Psycho.
Miles
told officers that the instruments he had used were in the wardrobe.
Police also found a partially-burned list of all the items he would need
for his murder kit, including black bin bags.
Miles
admitted murder at an earlier hearing. Judge Christopher Critchlow told
him: ‘This is a case of the utmost gravity, the horrific features of
which are rarely heard in any court.
‘Nothing
this court can say or do, no sentence this court can impose can
alleviate the pain suffered by Elizabeth Thomas’ family for death in
such a terrible manner. There must be a life sentence.’
At
the start of the hearing, the judge warned the court that the case
involved details that ‘are extremely unpleasant and may cause
considerable distress to anyone listening’ and he advised anyone of a
nervous disposition to leave.
He
said that the killing was predetermined and he would have given a whole
life term if the defendant had been an adult but as a child he was not
allowed to pass that sentence.
He
said eminent psychiatrists had agreed that Miles was not schizophrenic
and therefore did not have a defence of diminished responsibility.
The
teenager, wearing a white shirt and black tie, stared straight ahead
during the hearing and showed no emotion as the sentence was passed.
Speaking
of the impact on Elizabeth's family, Judge Critchlow said: ‘It's hard
for this court to remain unemotional. Their lives have been changed
forever, it's difficult to find the right words to describe the enormity
of what you did to an innocent girl of 17-and-a-half.’
He
continued: ‘You decided at the age of 16 you had to kill somebody, you
chose Elizabeth Thomas who tragically befriended you and who had stood
up for you when people described you as different. It's chilling to read
that you described her on occasion as your project.’
Elizabeth
was described as ‘really pretty, really fun and really kind’. The pair
told friends they were dating in October 2013 - but she said in January
2014 that the relationship had become difficult.
Lewis
Power QC, defending Miles, described the murder as a ‘chilling,
blood-curdling and sustained’ killing inspired by the TV series Dexter.
He said: ‘He had pleaded guilty to a horrendous crime which is beyond belief because of its horrific nature.’
'Copy-cat killing': Played by Michael
C. Hall, Dexter (above) is the lead character of an American TV series
about a Miami police forensics officer who is also a serial killer
Mr
Power continued: ‘This was a truly gruesome killing ripped from the
pages of a hit TV script. The evidence points to the defendant trying to
emulate the actions of the character Dexter who he idolised.
‘The
case is a sad testament to the perils of how young people can become
entrenched in modern TV blockbusters involving violence which shockingly
led to a copy-cat killing in real life.’
This is a case of the utmost gravity, the horrific features of which are rarely heard in any court
Judge Christopher Critchlow
He
said that the ‘phenomenon’ of Ed was not ‘fully understood’ by
psychiatrists but they agreed that the defendant was not psychotic.
A
statement from Miles parents, Emma and David, was read to the court and
directed at Elizabeth's family. They said: ‘There are no words to
describe the pain and heartbreak following your loss and for that we are
truly sorry.’
Speaking
after the sentencing hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Claire Pridgeon
of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: ‘This was a horrific,
premeditated and thoroughly planned murder of an innocent young woman
who had her whole life ahead of her.
‘The
murder of Elizabeth Thomas sent shockwaves through the close-knit town
of Oxted, an impact which is still felt today and no doubt will continue
to do so for some time and officers from the Tandridge Safer
Neighbourhood Team will continue to work closely with the community.
‘Nothing
will ever bring back Elizabeth but I hope the sentence handed today
will bring some form of closure to Elizabeth's family and friends and
our thoughts continue to be with them at this extremely difficult time.’
'The house is so empty without her': Family reveal devastation at daughter's death
In
a victim impact statement read to the court, Elizabeth's mother Alison
Thomas described how the family had found her death ‘difficult to
accept’ and how she was now placing ‘flowers on her grave when I should
be putting them in her hair’.
It
says: ‘Elizabeth was very family orientated, she would spend a lot of
her time at home chatting about all sorts of stuff, she was a great
talker.
‘She
would spend time with her grandma and phone and visit her often.
Elizabeth was mature beyond her years and was at the stage of her life
that she was becoming comfortable with whom she was; we were so proud of
her. She was very happy at school, her lessons were going well and she
had made some good friends.
Our weekend outings are now trips to the cemetery. I place flowers on her grave when I should be putting them in her hair
Alison Thomas, mother
‘When
the police came to our home on January 24 2014 and told us that
Elizabeth was dead, we could not comprehend this; we have found it very
difficult to accept that she is no longer here in our lives.
‘The
house is so quiet and empty without her, her grandma misses her so
much. We moved house so that the girls had the room to have friends
round, the house was supposed to be full of teenagers entertaining
instead we have an empty room upstairs which no-one wants to enter.
‘Now
I have no interest in anything; I don't want to do even the most
mundane chores like shopping, cooking or looking after our home. My
husband struggles to find any enthusiasm for work. We feel that we have
to keep going for our youngest daughter as she needs some normality.
‘She
is quiet around the home; she doesn't talk much to us about her sister
as she doesn't like to see me upset. She is seeing Victim Support and a
therapist, which I hate. She is such a lovely outgoing person with so
many friends; we have to keep positive for her.
‘We
know that we have to go through this awful time and things will ease
but at the moment we cannot move forward. At times I just want to pack a
bag and walk. Our weekend outings are now trips to the cemetery. I
place flowers on her grave when I should be putting them in her hair.
‘Elizabeth
would have been celebrating her 18th birthday on the 8th September; it
should have been a day of celebration. We have no further milestones to
look forward to, no A-level results, driving lessons and university
applications. Our sadness will last forever.’ DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
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