Life for pregnant girlfriend murder

A 25-year-old Staffordshire man who murdered his pregnant girlfriend in a savage and frenzied attack was today beginning a life sentence behind bars.

See also: Killer claimed he had wanted family

Loving daughter killed by first true love

Alec Goode, of Coulthwaite Way, Rugeley, who strangled and stabbed Kristie Johnson after she told him that she was ditching him and getting rid of the baby, must serve a minimum 15 years.

Judge John Wait, sitting at Stafford Crown Court, told him: "I have no doubt she told you that night she was finishing with you. In anger and in drink you killed her at a time when she was completely vulnerable and defenceless.

"You left a three-year-old child (Taylor-Brooke) without a mother and you took the life of a 19-year-old girl with a loving family." Judge Wait said that he accepted the offence was not planned and was committed after a loss of temper.

"You will serve a minimum of 15 years before even being considered by the parole board and you will not be released until you are considered safe," he told Goode.

The verdict from the jury of seven women and five men was greeted with applause and cheering from the public gallery yesterday afternoon, Goode appeared emotionless.Miss Johnson's body was found at her flat in Armitage Road, Rugeley, on March 29 by paramedics after Goode phoned his father and told him he had just done something bad.

The prosecution case was that Miss Johnson, pregnant with her second child at the time of her death, was beaten and strangled by Goode before being stabbed to death with a kitchen knife. Mr David Williams QC, defending, asked the judge to take into account his client's age when sentencing, the fact there was a "total lack of premeditation or planning" and that there was some provocation.

Goode always accepted killing the 19-year-old but maintained that it was on the grounds of provocation and diminished responsibility.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stuart Vaggers, who spent several hours interviewing Goode, told the jury: "There was no evidence of mental disorder. I found nothing that would allow him to rely on a defence of diminished responsibility."

The six day trial heard from Mr Johnson that Goode was his daughter's "first true love".

He also revealed there was another man in Kristie's life, Ian Hollis, who he believed to be the father of Taylor-Brooke.

Mr Johnson said that when his daughter told him that she was pregnant again she seemed very pleased.

But Miss Johnson's best friend, Victoria Hollis, said that she had received texts from her on the night of her death to the effect that she had caught Goode injecting himself and planned to finish with him. "I don't want Goode I want Ian," one message read. Another said "I don't want him, I don't want his baby." After the sentence Paul Farrow of the Crown Prosecution Service, described the attack on Miss Johnson as "sustained and horrific."

"Our thoughts are with Miss Johnson's family and friends and we hope that the outcome goes some way to easing their pain."

After the hearing Kristie's dad, parish councillor Peter Johnson said: "We can never get Kristie back but I am still her father and love her very much.I never want to see this man come out of prison. I now just want to go home and bring up my granddaughter for the sake of Kristie."

Mr Johnson added: "Justice has been done in the eyes of the law of this country but life should mean life for him. He has taken my daughter away from me."

The family praised court prosecutor Mark Wall QC and Staffordshire Police and Mr Johnson added: "We were very pleased with the jury because by giving the murder verdict what they were saying was that what he said about my daughter were lies and Kristie did nothing to deserve what happened to her."

Mr Johnson added: "We have had tremendous support from our family and friends. The community of Brereton and Ravenhill is very close and people have been very good to us, we want to thank everyone for their support.

"As a family we will go on but we will always remember Kristie and all I want to do now is bring little Taylor-Brooke up in the way I know Kristie wanted her bringing up."