Man who killed girlfriend as she planned to return to Canada jailed for life
Jack Sepple, 23, stabbed 19-year-old Ashley Wadsworth to death at the one-bedroom flat they shared in Chelmsford, Essex, on February 1.
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A man who stabbed his teenage girlfriend to death as she planned to return home to Canada has been handed a life prison sentence for the ābrutal and cowardlyā murder.
Jack Sepple, 23, stabbed 19-year-old Ashley Wadsworth to death at the one-bedroom flat they shared in Chelmsford, Essex, on February 1.
The judge, the Honourable Mr Justice Murray, told Chelmsford Crown Court it was a ābrutal and cowardly attackā and that Sepple āgratuitously inflicted some 90 wounds on her bodyā.
He said the pair met online when Ms Wadsworth was aged 12 and Sepple was around 15 and they had a long-distance relationship, but that Sepple had relationships with other women during this time.
You are a dangerous individual
The judge said Ms Wadsworth travelled to the UK on a six-month tourist visa while on a gap year shortly before Christmas 2021.
The court heard they bought a kitten together, called Winston, and a neighbour said they initially appeared happy together.
The judge said when the killing happened, Ms Wadsworth was soon to return to Canada and Sepple faced āimminent loss of control over herā.
He said that a week before her death, Ms Wadsworth had āindicated to her mother that things were not going well and she wanted to return to Canadaā.
He sentenced Sepple 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.
The judge told the defendant, of Tennyson Road in Chelmsford: āYou are a dangerous individual.ā
Sepple admitted to Ms Wadsworthās murder at an earlier hearing and showed no reaction as he was sentenced on Monday.
Simon Spence KC, prosecuting, said that Sepple murdered Ms Wadsworth after being āangered by her decision to return prematurely to her home country of Canadaā.
āHe strangled and repeatedly stabbed Ashley and left her in the bed that they shared while he went about his daily business,ā he said.
When police forced entry to the property they found Sepple on a FaceTime call to his sister āas he showed her the bodyā, Mr Spence said.
The barrister said that earlier that morning a neighbour heard a female scream.
The neighbour said Ms Wadsworth came to her and told her that Sepple āhad beaten her up and thrown the kitten against the wallā.
The judge said that Ms Wadsworth was āhystericalā and said that Sepple was going to kill her.
Sepple apologised to Ms Wadsworth and was ācalmā when the neighbour spoke to him, Mr Spence said, and the neighbour āwent for a medical appointment and left at 9.30amā.
Police forced entry at 4.13pm after friends raised concerns for Ms Wadsworthās safety.
The court heard Sepple told police āI went psychotic, Iām sorryā, adding āI strangled her and stabbed her.ā
Justice today can prevent him from harming another woman or putting another family through this
He told officers this was ātwo to three hours agoā.
Mr Spence said that Sepple had āfilmed himself on his mobile phone covered in Ashleyās blood apologising for what he had done ā Ashleyās lifeless body was visible in the videoā, with the footage recorded at around 12.45pm.
The prosecution counsel said Ms Wadsworth had injuries to her wrists, consistent with being defensive, and there were āin excess of 90 (wounds), all to the chest areaā.
Mr Spence said Sepple has a āclear history of violent and controlling behaviour towards female partnersā.
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 Wadsworthās parents flew to England to attend the court in person.
Her mother Christy Gendron said in her victim impact statement that she āwasnāt too happyā about her daughter travelling to meet Sepple ābut she was an adult so I couldnāt stop herā.
āAshleyās passion and love for Jack would ultimately cost her her life,ā she said.
Jack, you need to know and accept the brutality of what youāve done and the neverending pain youāve caused my family
āShe tried to better him and even introduce him to religion.ā
She added: āJustice today can prevent him from harming another woman or putting another family through this.ā
Ms Wadsworthās father Ken Wadsworth said he ādidnāt want her to go to Englandā but āshe didnāt like to be told anything bad about who she was datingā.
Addressing the defendant directly, Mr Wadsworth said: āJack, you need to know and accept the brutality of what youāve done and the neverending pain youāve caused my family.ā
Christopher Paxton KC, mitigating, said the murder happened amid āa breakdown of the relationshipā.
He said that Sepple had admitted the murder.
Ms Wadsworth, originally from Vernon, British Columbia, was described in an earlier tribute from her family as a ākindā and ābeautifulā woman.
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: āThis is a nightmare that thanks to you, Jack, we will never wake up from.ā