A man who stabbed a mother of three to death in her home less than a week after their relationship ended has been jailed for life.

John Jessop, 26, cycled 17 miles from his home in Newark, Nottinghamshire, to the home of Clair Ablewhite, 47, and attacked her last February.

He was caught on CCTV before Ms Ablewhite was killed in the village of Colston Bassett.

Jessop pleaded guilty to murder at a previous hearing and was sentenced today at Nottingham Crown Court.

He will serve a minimum of 17 years and eight months.

Jessop attacked Ms Ablewhite on 25 February, punching her repeatedly before stabbing her in the neck and chest before cycling home.

Her body was discovered by her father after a friend had raised concerns about her welfare, Nottinghamshire Police said after the hearing.

Ms Ablewhite’s neighbour provided the CCTV footage that allowed Jessop to be identified as a suspect.

Detective Inspector Mel Crutchley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “One of my lines of inquiry was to task officers to obtain witness accounts from Clair’s family and friends.

“This allowed the team to understand the relationships she had, any known issues that could have contributed to her death and her known movements prior to the murder.”

Officers said Ms Ablewhite had been using a dating website and had communicated with Jessop via social media and WhatsApp.

‘A timely reminder for people to think about who they interact with online’

Det Insp Crutchley said that Jessop “was identified as being known to Clair via social media and had been in an intimate relationship with her from September 2021 which had ended on February 19 2022.

“The contact ceased mainly due to concern over the age difference, and it was evident from the communication that he had been at her Colston Bassett address during the six weeks she had resided there.

“The neighbour played a major part in helping with our investigation by providing that first CCTV image of the killer and I would like to thank him personally for travelling home from France to help us bring Clair’s killer to justice.

“It is also a timely reminder for people to think about who they interact with online and to ensure their safety is protected from violent and predatory people like Jessop.”

‘No remorse’

He added: “Throughout this investigation, Jessop has shown no remorse for what he did to Clair. He has consistently provided ‘no comment’ in interview and offered up no apology.

“The attack he inflicted on Clair was brutal and relentless, causing catastrophic injuries which finally led to her death.

“At the same time that Clair’s dad discovers his daughter’s body and tries to provide CPR – Jessop is enjoying his first pint in a pub in Newark with mates.

“He has taken away a loving, caring, and outgoing mum, daughter, sister, and friend to many.

“Today’s sentence will never bring back Clair, but it does mean that Jessop will spend a considerable part of his life behind prison bars, and I hope this gives her family some comfort.”

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