A jilted father who beat his ex-girlfriend to
death in a custody battle has been jailed for
18 years.Adam Singer, 30, battered Sally Ann Harrison, 24, with a rolling pin after hearing she was due to leave with their 21 month-old daughter.Sally was found slumped on the sofa with head injuries at the flat the couple
still shared despite their break-up two months earlier.Days earlier Singer had stolen the murder weapon from his work as a galley assistant at the Royal Naval base of HMS Drake in Plymouth.He ‘rehearsed’ the killing to a workmate and asked him if he thought a rolling pin would kill.Passing sentence, judge Graham Cottle told Singer: “I have no doubt you were going to use any means at your disposal to try and secure custody.“You produced the rolling pin from your rucksack and you bludgeoned Sally to death with it.“She was sat on the sofa in her dressing gown and pyjamas when the attack started and she never moved other than to fall sideways under the blows you rained on her head.“It was an appalling and murderous attack.“You are cunning, deceitful and manipulative and are somebody who will continue to present a very real danger to any woman you meet and form a relationship with in the future.
first visit to”Prosecutor Simon Laws, QC, told Bristol Crown Court how the couple met in November 2006 and moved in together in May 2010. Their daughter Isabella was born two months later.Early in 2012 they made the decision to split but continued sharing a maisonette in Devonport, Plymouth despite finding new partners. Sally had planned to leave, taking Isabella with her.But Singer became increasingly “obsessed” with gaining custody of their daughter, but Sally would not agree.A series of Facebook messages was read to the jury showing how Sally claimed Singer wanted sole custody of Isabella and planned to make her a “weekend mum”.The jury heard Singer opened a message on Sally’s email account which revealed she was sleeping with another man.
when my first visit toHe took a screen shot of the email and planned to use it as evidence during a custody hearing.Prosecutor Mr Laws told him: “You were digging for dirt to use against Sally. You thought that might help you in the custody battle with Sally after Isabella.“You said the way she dressed and the fact she was a slag would count against her.
when my first visit to 'You told her, you ‘dress in a provocative way and have sex with other men, that means I will get Isabella’, didn’t you?“You were trying to improve your position.”Sally’s grandfather Peter McCurrie, 69, said after the case: “There are no winners in this case, but justice has finally been done.“Isabella is now effectively an orphan, she will be 22 before her father is released.“We miss Sally incredibly. She was an absolutely lovely girl, she was very close to us, she would visit all the time.“She was bubbly and happy and always smiling and always putting others first. We miss her every day.”Sylvia Deehan says she hurt her ribs when a woman trying to snatch a prize, that had been thrown in the air, barged into herDennehy in grim company with Myra Hindley and Rose West as one of only three women given full life term for murder - but to her it's all a big jokeFind out if you can claim in 30 secondsGet top poker tips and sign up online
