Caroline killer gets life

The jury at Leeds Crown Court took just over one hour to return a guilty verdict.

When the jury foreman read out the verdict, Caroline's family and friends cheered and wept.

Passing sentence Mr Justice Ognall said Valentine, 43, must serve a minimum of 22 years in prison before parole would even be considered.

Valentine strangled Caroline in his flat in Soho Mills, Thornton Road, on October 29, 1996.

He wrapped her body in a patterned rug from his living room, carried it out of the building and dumped it in a nearby storm drain.

The jury had been shown video footage from security cameras at Soho Mills in which Valentine was seen carrying her body out of building wrapped in a rug.

Caroline, 25, had been using Valentine's flat as a place to stay. She brought back clients and Valentine charged her £5 to use his bed. Forensic evidence put before the jury showed her blood was found on the headboard of the bed.

Valentine had previously been jailed in March 1991 for the manslaughter of Leeds woman Janet Willoughby.

His other previous convictions include two counts of indecent assault and a seven-year sentence in 1985 for robbery and burglary.

Passing sentence Mr Justice Ognall said: "You beat ferociously and then you strangled that unfortunate woman.

"Both your record and evidence in this case abundantly demonstrate that you are a very dangerous man."

Speaking after the case Detective Superintendent Brian Taylor, the senior investigative officer in the murder inquiry, said: "Clearly Valentine is a dangerous man and a danger to any woman that he chooses to come into contact with.

"A great deal of women can now rest a lot easier now that he has been jailed. Any other woman who he may have come into contact with is now much safer.

"I praise the detectives in this case for some impressive investigative work."

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