Family of murdered woman pleads with her Leeds killer: 'Tell us why you did it'
The family of a woman have pleaded with her killer to explain why he brutally murdered her at his Leeds flat.
Steven Francis denied the fatal assault on 43-year-old Louisa Hall, despite overwhelming evidence, and was convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court this week.
He subjected her to a sustained assault and left her with 117 separate injuries, many of which were caused by a weapon, at his flat on Oatland Court, Little London.
The 59-year-old was told he must serve at least 28 years behind bars, with the likelihood that he will die in prison.
Heartfelt statements written by Ms Hall’s mother and daughter were read to the court during the sentencing hearing this morning, in which they called for Francis to explain why he took her life.
Read out by prosecutor Abigail Langford, Louisa’s mother, Maureen Hall said: “You took away our only child, a beautiful girl who would not hurt anyone.
“Louisa had her struggles in life but she was always a wonderful mum. Why did you do what you did to her?
“I have nightmares of what you did to her. Why did you hurt my Louisa? She was so full of life. You have taken away my Louisa and her right to live.
“Louisa was the kindest person you would ever meet. She was so trusting of others and easily manipulated. Too trusting and didn’t see the evil in people, which was her only fault.
“Why don’t you tell the truth? We will spend the rest of our lives questioning why you did what you did.
“The injures you caused meant we couldn’t even say goodbye as the coffin had to remain sealed. We had to say goodbye to a coffin lid. This fills me with all kinds of horror and sleepless nights.
“You have made us sit through this trial. No parent should have to hear things you did. My daughter did not deserve to be treated in this way.”
Speaking after sentencing, senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: “Louisa Hall was subjected to an appalling level of violence at the hands of Steven Francis in what was a brutal and sustained attack that cruelly ended her life.
“He has also been convicted of attacking and raping another woman at his flat in similar circumstances, and it is clear that he is a very dangerous individual who has deliberately preyed on vulnerable women.
“He denied any involvement in Louisa’s murder and in the earlier attack but, through a detailed and comprehensive investigation, we were able to completely disprove his fictitious accounts, which has resulted in him being convicted of these offences.
“We hope that Louisa’s family and friends can take at least some small measure of comfort from knowing that Francis has now been held criminally accountable and will have a long time in prison to reflect on the pain and anguish he has caused.
“We also hope the victim of the 2016 offences can find some reassurance in knowing he has been brought to justice for the terrifying ordeal he inflicted on her.
“West Yorkshire Police remains absolutely committed to doing everything we can to tackle violence against women and girls and we encourage victims of physical or sexual violence to report it either directly to ourselves or via our partner agencies so that we can take action to safeguard victims, bring offenders to justice and protect our communities.”