A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years for the murder of 16-year-old Louise Smith from Leigh Park.
Louise, who was described by family and friends as “smiley and generous,” was reported missing on Friday 8 May. After a major police search, her body was discovered 13 days later in woodland at Havant Thicket.
Hampshire Police arrested 30-year-old Shane Lee Mays, from Somborne Drive in Leigh Park, charging him with Louise’s murder. While Mays admitted some involvement and pleaded guilty to manslaughter, he denied the charge of murder. The case proceeded to trial at Winchester Crown Court in November.
After just two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict for murder on Tuesday 8 December.
At sentencing, Mrs Justice Juliet May said, “Every crime of murder not only ends one life, but grievously harms others. Shane Mays was in a position of trust… like a father-daughter relationship. In killing Louise, he committed the most gross abuse of that trust.”
Detective Inspector Adam Edwards, the lead investigator, described the attack as “shocking” on a vulnerable girl and criticised Mays for his lack of remorse and attempts to shift blame throughout the case. “Mays has shown no remorse and tried to shift blame. I’m glad the jury saw through that,” said DI Edwards. “He will now spend a long time behind bars. Our thoughts remain with Louise’s family and friends.”
The verdict brings to a close a heart-breaking chapter for the community, which continues to mourn the brutal loss of Louise Smith.
Originally published by UKNIP.
