VIDEO: Hannah Windsor's mother reacts to sentence for killer Adam Lewis

A "sadistic" teenager from Wirral who tortured and murdered his girlfriend in a frenzied attack has been jailed for at least 22 years.

Adam Lewis, 18, was sentenced to life imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court for the murder of Hannah Windsor, 17.

Hannah was tied to a tree, sexually assaulted, strangled and attacked with a knife by Lewis, of Fairmead Road, Moreton.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Holroyde told him: "Only you know what you did to Hannah and in what order you did it. It is, however, clear that you deliberately inflicted cruel injuries upon her which must have caused her immense pain and suffering."

Lewis (pictured), who has learning difficulties and a low IQ, showed no emotion as the judge told him the pathologist’s report into Hannah’s death made "chilling reading".

He added: "Adam Lewis, that was a prolonged, merciless and terrible attack, which must have been agonisingly painful for Hannah Windsor before she died. You must have known what dreadful pain you were causing her."

The judge said Lewis showed "dreadful cruelty" and added: "I am quite sure that your murder of Hannah Windsor involved both a sexual and sadistic element."

Members of Hannah’s family sobbed as they followed proceedings from the public gallery.

The judge said: "In every crime of murder, one life is taken but many others are damaged.

"I have read and taken account of statements by both of Hannah’s parents. They, and other members of her family and friends, have suffered and will continue to suffer as a result of what you did."

The partially clothed body of Hannah, who was living in a hostel for homeless young people at the time of her death, was found hidden under leaves and dirt in woodland at Bidston Hill, Wirral, on May 19 this year.

She had been restrained and tied to a tree, sexually assaulted, stabbed repeatedly and suffered other multiple knife wounds to her chest, abdomen and back, the court heard.

Her mouth had been covered with surgical tape and she was strangled with a combination of Lewis’s hands and a ligature.

There were also severe wounds in her genital area and evidence of sexual assaults.

Lewis had denied murdering his girlfriend but changed his plea to guilty yesterday, shortly before his trial was due to begin.

He also admitted two counts of sexual assault against his victim, two counts of burglary and one count of arson.

In addition to life with a minimum term of 22 years for Hannah’s murder, Lewis was sentenced to five years and six months for each sexual assault, to be served concurrently.

He was also jailed for three years and four months for the arson and two years and six months for the burglaries, both also concurrent sentences.

Hannah and Lewis, who had both been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), met when they were pupils at a Wirral special school.

After leaving school they were in a relationship for seven months before splitting up and then reuniting about six weeks before he killed her, the court heard.

Story continues on next page with CCTV of last known sighting of Hannah >>>