TRANSPLANT patient Samantha had suffered poor health for much her short life, including jaundice and an allergy to sunlight. Her own father had donated his kidney to save the girl’s life when she was just eight years old.

On July 2, 1994, she had gone to a friend’s 21st birthday party in Malmesbury. Friends saw her leave the celebrations with Wilcox.

Bristol Crown Court heard Samantha and Wilcox had walked to a secluded paddock. He was unable to have sex because he had been drinking.

Fearing she would return to the party and tell everyone about the failed encounter, the crazed labourer strangled Samantha with her t-shirt, punched her in the face and bit her.

He burned her with cigarettes after killing her.

Sentencing Wilcox to life imprisonment, Judge Richard Tucker described Samantha’s death as a tragic and unnecessary loss of life.

“You have no possible defence to the charge of murder,” he told Wilcox.

Mum Pat said: “I knew what he had done to her but it was difficult to hear it read out.

“It upset me a lot. I feel justice was done but we are also under a sentence of not having Sam and we will miss her for the rest of our lives. This house is terrible without her. We still expect her to come home."

Det Sgt Richard Young said: “She had fought against death all her life and then she meets her end in this way. It’s a totally unprovoked, vicious attack on a completely defenceless girl.”