A murderer who called the police after strangling a woman in what has been described as a "mindless, violent" attack has received a life sentence.
David Bestwick, aged 60, made the initial phone call to authorities following the assault of Maria Howarth at a property on School Lane in Greenhill, Sheffield.
Ms Howarth, 44, was found critically injured on September 6, 2020, and subsequently died in hospital two days later.
Bestwick was convicted of murder at Sheffield Crown Court and was told he will serve at least 17 years behind bars.
Police apprehended Bestwick, who resides on Chesterfield Road, Woodseats, at the scene and initially charged him with attempted murder.
However, after her death, the charge was upgraded to murder.
Det Ch Insp James Axe stated, "Bestwick himself made the initial call to police in the early hours of [the] Sunday morning, claiming he had strangled Maria.
When our officers arrived, she had critical injuries and was rushed to hospital.
Sadly, such was the extent of the damage caused to her body her injuries were to prove fatal and a post-mortem concluded she died from strangulation." The officer further added, "Bestwick will now spend a considerable period of time behind bars for his mindless, violent crime that took a woman's life." Ms Howarth's family issued a statement saying, "No sentence, however long, is as long as the sentence the family will have to endure with this heinous crime that has been committed."
This is a probabilistic continent or country-group signal from public name datasets. It is not proof of nationality, ethnicity or personal background.
Likely region signal
UK
Country
from United Kingdom
- based on surname
85.2%
confidence
First-name region
UK
United States
26.5%
Surname region
UK
United Kingdom
85.2%
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Sentenced
Detected legal outcome
subsequently died in hospital two days later. Bestwick was convicted of murder at Sheffield Crown Court and was told he will serve at least 17 years behind bars. Police apprehended Bestwick, who resides on Chesterfield Road, Woodseats, a...
Life or indeterminate sentence
life
A murderer who called the police after strangling a woman in what has been described as a "mindless, violent" attack has received a life sentence
Prison sentence
17 years
Bestwick was convicted of murder at Sheffield Crown Court and was told he will serve at least 17 years behind bars
Prison sentence
life
Sadly, such was the extent of the damage caused to her body her injuries were to prove fatal and a post-mortem concluded she died from strangulation." The officer further added, "Bestwick will now spend a considerable period of time behind bars for his mindless, violent crime that took a woman's life." Ms Howarth's family issued a statement saying, "No sentence, however long, is as long as the sentence the family will have to endure with this heinous crime that has been committed."
