A man who stamped and kicked a mother-of-five to death in a “jealous rage” has been handed a life sentence.
Shaun Dyson, 28, had pleaded guilty to the ‘brutal’ murder of his estranged wife Lucy-Anne Rushton in the early hours of June 23.
He changed an earlier plea of not-guilty and admitted attacking Ms Rushton, at the family home in Andover, Hampshire, while their children were at the property.
A child witness also described to the court how Dyson tried to force Ms Rushton to swallow her wedding ring.
Dyson was handed a life sentence on Friday, with a minimum term of 17 years to be served.
During sentencing at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Justice Choudhury said: “Your jealous, controlling and violent nature which demanded that Lucy could not be with other men, all the while conducting a secret affair yourself, culminated that night in an attack that is breathtaking in its brutality.
“You kicked, punched and stamped on Lucy innumerable times whilst she was lying on the floor, unarmed, inebriated and half-naked.”
Simon Jones, prosecuting, previously told the court how Dyson had become “enraged” by a phone call 30-year-old Ms Rushton received from a man she had been in a relationship with.
He said: “This was a brutal, violent and unlawful attack. Lucy was killed by the defendant and the pathologist confirmed that this was a prolonged and very severe beating involving repeated stamping, jumping and kicking.”
They told how Dyson had used “severe, bordering on extreme” force in the ‘brutal’ attack, which caused 37 fractures to Ms Rushton’s ribs as well as 70 bruises.
The victim also suffered a fractured breastbone and collapsed lungs.
Mr Jones said that there was a “history of domestic violence” during the couple’s relationship since they eloped to marry at Gretna Green in 2010.