Whole life term for double murderer Christopher Halliwell

With no minimum term set it means he will die in prison.

Retired High Court judge Sir John Griffith Williams sentenced former taxi driver Halliwell, 52, this morning at Bristol Crown Court.

Halliwell, already serving 25 years for the murder of Sian O'Callaghan in 2011, earlier refused the opportunity to address the packed court.

Justice Griffith Williams said that Halliwell had robbed Becky of the chance to turn her life around.

“It remained her hope she would one day free herself of her addiction and belatedly return to her family to live decent life her early years had promised and of which her addiction had deprived her," he said.

“When you murdered her you deprived her of a potentially fulfilling life.”

The judge described Halliwell's account of Becky being buried in the field where her remains were found by two drug dealers as a "cock and bull story" and said Halliwell had attempted to "manipulate" the court process and police.

"Your account of the circumstances in which she met her death bears all the hallmarks of a contrived explanation designed to avoid conviction in the hope that the minimum term you are presently serving will not be increased," said Justice Griffith Williams.

"But the account in which you advanced so glibly with little or no regard to the truth made no sense at all.

"I have had the opportunity of observing you throughout the trial and listening to your evidence. I have no doubt that you are a self-centred and domineering individual who wants his own way. You are both calculating and devious.

“Your behaviour towards her was controlling. You used her for sex whenever you wanted to, taking advantage of her vulnerability as a drug addict and prostitute

“You clearly intended to kill her. I add that I am certain she struggled desperately in an attempt to save her life but physically she was no match for you.”

Becky's parents were in tears as the sentence was handed down - both were wearing splashes of pink, her favourite colour.

Justice Griffith Williams told Becky's family: "I hope you feel that justice has been done... I pay tribute to you all."

The judge told Halliwell he would die in prison and as he was led away, he said: "Thank you."

Halliwell had confessed killing Sian O'Callaghan in 2011 and took police to her body before offering "another one" and leading them to where he had buried missing prostitute Becky years earlier.

A High Court judge later ruled Halliwell's admissions could not be used as Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher had breached police guidelines on interviewing suspects.

The charge of murdering Miss Godden was withdrawn until March this year following an investigation by Wiltshire Police that uncovered overwhelming evidence against Halliwell.

The father-of-three denied murder and represented himself during a two-week trial at the court.

But the jury took less than three hours to convict Halliwell of the charge and he smiled as the forewoman read out the verdict.

During the new investigation, Wiltshire Police uncovered vital evidence to pin Halliwell to Becky's murder without his confession. 

New evidence included witness accounts and forensic analysis of a spade and garden tools at his former home in Ashbury Avenue, Nythe. One witness saw Miss Godden getting into a taxi in early January 2003 - crucially this was days after the last confirmed sighting of her by a police officer in Swindon in December 2002.

Another saw Halliwell and a woman, who he believed to be Miss Godden, arguing in a pub in Eastleach at that time.

Halliwell's confession was ruled inadmissible by Mrs Justice Cox in 2011 because Mr Fulcher, who was leading the hunt for Miss O'Callaghan, had failed to caution Halliwell and denied him a solicitor during a three-hour period after his arrest when he believed there was still a chance of finding her alive.

But Justice Griffith Williams ruled the confession could be presented to the jury following two days of legal argument at Bristol Crown Court in July.

Police believe Halliwell abducted Miss Godden from outside Destiny & Desire, a nightclub in Swindon town centre. Miss O'Callaghan is believed to have been taken from outside the Suju nightclub in Old Town.

The judge told the court on Monday he was considering either a whole life order or a "significant" minimum term of imprisonment for Halliwell, who he described as a liar.

Today the judge said: "Rebecca Godden did not want to go with you and would certainly not have gone with you had she known you were prepared to rape her and to use violence if she did not do as you told her," he said.

"There was clearly sexual conduct and your offending was aggravated by your concealment of the body.

"I observe that you lied to the jury about the circumstances of the murder of Sian O'Callaghan, just as you lied to the jury about the circumstances of the murder of Rebecca Godden.

"A feature of your evidence which I would not have been alone in considering greatly unfeeling was the contradiction in your claims that you wanted to spare the family of Sian O'Callaghan further grief and yet you did not take the police straight to her body, and despite your confessions to Superintendent Fulcher, you made 'no comment' answers when you were interviewed about her murder.

"You then pleaded not guilty and so compounded and added to the grief of her family.

"You have put the family of Rebecca Godden through similar anguish, first confessing to her murder and then answering no comment to all questions in interview.

"After what must have been hours of trawling through the prosecution papers, you devised a cock and bull story about two drug dealers.

"I cannot add to your sentence for such cynical indifference to the concerns of the families but it is clear to me that there is nothing which can mitigate your sentence.

"I am satisfied that there are real similarities between the two murders. The fact that some nine years elapsed between them probably reflects the absence of opportunities.

"I have concluded both murders involved the abduction of the victim and sexual conduct and both were aggravated by the concealment of the bodies.

"I am satisfied your offending is exceptionally high and satisfies the criteria for a whole life term. Were I to impose a minimum term it would be of such length that you would in all probability never be released.

"I sentence you to life imprisonment and direct there will be a whole life order."

Outside court dad John Godden said Becky was an "absolutely brilliant beautiful person, I still think she'll come walking through that door."

He called for an investigation into police handling of the investigation.

Sian's mother, Elaine Pickford, said: "The sentence handed down today by justice Sir John Griffiths Williams is the right, proper and deserved one.

"For myself, my family and Kevin [Reape] there will never be closure without Sian, we will forever miss her, as will anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. She lives in our hearts, thoughts and memories.

"Once again our thanks to Stephen Fulcher, Sean Memory, both prosecuting QCs and their respective teams and the continued support of family and friends and people of Swindon.

"Lastly, I would appeal to Christopher Halliwell to 'talk' if there are other victims."

South Swindon MP and solicitor general Robert Buckland said: “This is the right sentence and reflects the appalling nature of these heinous crimes.”