Man jailed for life after 'brutal and cowardly' murder of teenage girlfriend
10 October 2022, 20:04 | Updated: 10 October 2022, 23:50
An Essex man has been given a life sentence in prison after stabbing his teenage girlfriend to death in a "brutal and cowardly" attack.
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Jack Sepple, 23, stabbed Ashley Wadsworth, 19, more than 90 times on February 1 in the flat they shared in Chelmsford, after hearing of her plans to move back to her home country of Canada.
Ms Wadsworth and Sepple met online when she was 12 and he was 15, and kept up a long-term relationship. He had other relationships at the same time.
She moved to the UK at the end of last year on a six-month tourist visa. The court heard how they moved into a flat together and even adopted a kitten. A neighbour said they seemed happy together at first.
When the killing happened, Ms Wadsworth was soon to return to Canada, with the relationship not going well, and Sepple faced "imminent loss of control over her".
The judge sentenced Sepple, of Tennyson Road in Chelmsford, to a life prison sentence with a minimum term of 23 years and six months, which he must serve before he can be considered for parole.
He told Sepple: "You are a dangerous individual."
Sepple admitted to killing Ms Wadsworth at an earlier hearing and showed no reaction as he was sentenced.
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Simon Spence KC, prosecuting, said that Sepple murdered Ms Wadsworth after being "angered by her decision to return prematurely to her home country of Canada".
"He strangled and repeatedly stabbed Ashley and left her in the bed that they shared while he went about his daily business," he said.
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When police forced entry to their home, they found Sepple on a video call to his sister "as he showed her the body", according to the prosecuting barrister.
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Police forced entry at 4.13pm after friends raised concerns for Ms Wadsworth's safety. The court heard Sepple told police "I went psychotic, I'm sorry", adding "I strangled her and stabbed her."
He told officers this was "two to three hours ago". Mr Spence said that Sepple had "filmed himself on his mobile phone covered in Ashley's blood apologising for what he had done - Ashley's lifeless body was visible in the video", with the footage recorded at around 12.45pm.
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The prosecution counsel said Ms Wadsworth had injuries to her wrists, consistent with being defensive, and there were "in excess of 90 (wounds), all to the chest area". Mr Spence said Sepple has a "clear history of violent and controlling behaviour towards female partners".
His previous convictions include harassment, breaching a restraining order by contacting a girl after she ended their online relationship, and an assault of his mother, the court heard. The court hearing was scheduled in the afternoon to allow family members of Ms Wadsworth in Canada to follow proceedings online and Ms Wadsworth's parents flew to England to attend the court in person.
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Her mother Christy Gendron said in her victim impact statement that she "wasn't too happy" about her daughter travelling to meet Sepple "but she was an adult so I couldn't stop her".
"Ashley's passion and love for Jack would ultimately cost her her life," she said. "
She tried to better him and even introduce him to religion."
She added: "Justice today can prevent him from harming another woman or putting another family through this."
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Ms Wadsworth's father Ken Wadsworth said he "didn't want her to go to England" but "she didn't like to be told anything bad about who she was dating".
Addressing Mr Sepple directly, Mr Wadsworth said: "Jack, you need to know and accept the brutality of what you've done and the never-ending pain you've caused my family."
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Ms Wadsworth, originally from Vernon, British Columbia, was described in an earlier tribute from her family as a "kind" and "beautiful" woman.
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They said she had found faith with the Mormon Church and had been accepted at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Colombia.
Her mother said in court: "This is a nightmare that thanks to you, Jack, we will never wake up from."
Christopher Paxton KC, mitigating, said the murder happened amid "a breakdown of the relationship". He said that Sepple had admitted the murder.
