Killer told ‘callous’ lies to cover his tracks after dumping body of ex-partner near motorway lay-by

A man who murdered his ex-partner before dumping her body near a motorway lay-by told the police 'callous' lies to try and cover his tracks.

Darren Hall faces life in jail after murdering 31-year-old Sarah Henshaw at her Derbyshire home during an argument. He disposed of her body near a lay-by on the M1 westbound near Chesterfield, 20 miles away, a trial at Derby Crown Court heard.

The 36-year-old carpet fitter lied to friends, family and the police that she had gone missing. He disposed of her possessions in a skip as well as messaging a friend with her phone to trick them into believing she was still alive.

Ms Henshaw was last seen alive near her home on June 20. Her body was found by police in woodland six days later.

Bruising on her neck was “about the width of a dressing gown cord”, prosecutors told Hall’s trial, which lasted two weeks. Jurors took just over three hours to unanimously convict him of murder on Friday, December 15.

At the sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Goss said: “Darren Hall you have been convicted by the jury of murder. As you will know, the sentence of the court will have to be imprisonment for life, but I have to consider the minimum term before which you could be considered eligible for parole.”

Prosecutors told the trial that Hall had killed Ms Henshaw during an argument and “callously dumped” her body near the lay-by on the night of June 20. Hall had entered the house in Norman Street using his key while Ms Henshaw was out and stayed despite multiple requests for him to leave.

Prosecutors said they could not be sure how Ms Henshaw died due to her body having decomposed, but jurors heard that Hall was “physically abusive” towards his partner during their turbulent relationship, which had ended by the time of her death.

Phone data recovered by the police showed Hall travelling to and returning from the lay-by in the early hours of June 21, stopping for nine minutes, prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said. “This was a well-chosen, well-thought-out spot, hoping that she would not be found,” she told the court.

Before his arrest on June 23, Hall was also seen disposing of her belongings including her dressing gown and her slippers in a skip and at a recycling centre, which Ms Heeley told jurors was him “covering his tracks” through “calculated and controlled” actions.

In his evidence, Hall, of Rodney Way, Ilkeston, said Ms Henshaw died by inadvertently falling down the stairs but said he “just panicked” when he moved her body to the lay-by, adding that there was “no real, reasonable reason” as to why he did so. He also admitted using Ms Henshaw’s phone to text her friend and disposing of her possessions to make others believe that Ms Henshaw was alive and had gone missing voluntarily, adding in his evidence that he was “not thinking right” at the time.

Hall remained silent in the dock as the verdict was returned, with members of Ms Henshaw’s family – many of whom have packed the public gallery throughout the trial – weeping and clapping.

Following the verdict, DI Maria Pleace, who led the investigation for Derbyshire Constabulary, said: “Darren Hall is a manipulative, deceiving and dangerous individual. Thankfully the jury saw through his lies and have rightly found him guilty.

"Today, as they have been throughout this case, my thoughts are with Sarah’s family and friends. They have lost a much-loved niece, daughter, sister, mother and friend in the most heart-breaking circumstances and I hope that this verdict provides them with the justice they, and Sarah, deserve.

"I want to thank them for their steadfastness over the past months and for the support they have provided to the investigation team – a team that have worked tirelessly to build a case that led the jury to today’s verdict.”

The judge adjourned sentencing until 10.30am on Tuesday, December 19.

References

1. ^{^} The 'chaotic' life of Alex Batty's mum who 'didn't believe in school' and 'got involved with a cult' (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^{^} here. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)