Lauren Howe murder: Yorkshire mother, 26, was murdered by boyfriend her family 'treated like a son and brother'

Charlie Booth, 27, was today jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court for the murder of Lauren Howe, 26, in Baildon, near Bradford, last July.

The court heard that the couple had been together since they were teenagers and had become parents to two children at a young age.

Lauren was one of seven siblings, and victim impact statements from her parents and three of her sisters were all read out.

Prosecuting, Ben Campbell said that there was ‘evidence of sustained threats to others and damage to houses in the period leading up to the murder’ and that Booth had a history of being aggressive to members of the Howe family. He had assaulted Lauren on ‘countless’ occasions and she had confided to friends that he was violent towards her, but had not reported him to police.

The motive for killing Lauren was said to be ‘extreme jealousy and paranoia, and a belief that she had been unfaithful’ and Booth jammed a piece of wood against the front door of their house on Tennis Way so that he would know she had returned home.

During the 50-minute attack, Lauren suffered multiple injuries to her whole body, had her clothing forcibly removed and there was evidence she had been ‘degraded and humilated’ with water from a hosepipe before she died from a severe blow to the liver.

Booth made attempts to cover his tracks, dressing Lauren in different clothing, trying to remove her body and giving someone else a key to the flat.

Lauren’s sister Bethany Howe said: “We had a close relationship. There were seven siblings and now there are six. I can’t process that she isn’t here. I struggle to look at her children because they remind me of you. I have found it hard to accept that you took her. It’s like a piece of glass has been shattered and there will always be one piece missing.”

Lily Howe, another sister, said that Booth had been ‘like a brother’ to her and said: “We trusted you to look after her. We tried our best to keep you safe and clean. Her death has ruined my life.”

Their mother Dawn Bottomley told the court that she had treated Booth like one of her own children and gave him the ‘benefit of the doubt’ while their father Darren Howe said he had turned to drink to block out the pain of losing Lauren. The third sister, Leigha, described Lauren as ‘kind, passionate, loving and always there for you’.

Mr Campbell added that there was a degree of premeditation to the murder, that Lauren had been forced to defend herself before the fatal injury, and that Booth had been under the infuence of alcohol and crack cocaine. Until October, he did not admit inflicting unlawful violence, and only pleaded guilty to manslaughter in December.

Defending, Frida Hussain KC argued that there was insufficient evidence that Lauren’s death had been premeditated or intentional and that Booth had never previously caused serious injury to her. She said the attack could be considered to have been ‘in the moment’ and that removing Lauren’s clothing could have been a ‘misguided’ attempt to rouse her. She drew attention to Booth’s lack of maturity, as he had become a father at the age of just 15.

Sentencing Booth to a life term with a minimum of 15 and a half years in prison, Judge Andrew Stubbs KC said: “Lauren Howe was a young woman who embraced life. Her family will never get over her loss. Her children have lost both parents.

"This was a relationship marked by violence and possessiveness. You had a controlling nature but she loved you and returned to you after periods of separation.

"There is no mitigation. You made threats to Leigha and Darren Howe, took drink and drugs, and the groundless rumours you had heard were preying on your mind. You were angry that she had gone out without you and built yourself up into an uncontrollable rage. You made efforts to contact and locate her, and the next morning you were waiting for her because she had defied you.

"You overpowered her with the force usually seen in a car crash. Her liver was almost split in half. Your history of violence cannot be ignored, nor your attempts to blame others, but I can’t be sure it was your intention to kill her rather than cause serious harm.”

Booth will be on licence for the rest of his life if he is ever released from prison.