Young father jailed for life for murder of Nicole Cartmell
A young father who suffocated his teenage girlfriend to death before hiding her body under the floorboards at his home was jailed for life after being found guilty of murder.
A young father who suffocated his teenage girlfriend to death before hiding her body under the floorboards at his home was jailed for life after being found guilty of murder.
Stephen Devesey, 21, brutally killed 18-year-old Nicole Cartmell, from West Bromwich, just weeks after she gave birth to a baby boy last year.
He murdered former Walsall College student Nicole, known as Nicky to her friends, by suffocating her with his arm.
Devesey tried to cover up the brutal murder by prising up floorboards at his home and dropping the teenager's body 7ft onto a cellar floor.
He attempted to cover up the smell of the decomposing body by burning incense while joking with his brother about the house stinking "like rotting meat."
Yesterday (Mon) a jury of five men and seven women found Devesey guilty of murder by unanimous verdict at Birmingham Crown Court. he was given a minimum 17-year tariff.
As the verdict was read out Miss Cartmell's family were heard to say "yes" and her mother Julie Cartmell, who gave evidence during the trial, broke down in tears.
Devesey, wearing a blue jacket and blue check shirt, remained emotionless throughout the hearing.
Nicole gave birth to a baby boy in January last year but was reported missing by her friends on Valentine's Day.
Her badly decomposed body was discovered in a house where Devesey lived in Whateley Road, Handsworth on March 2.
Extensive investigations revealed she had been suffocated by someone putting her in an "arm bar" around her throat.
Devesey carried out an "elaborate charade", telling lies to police and others in a bid to cover up the crime, the court heard.
He changed his Facebook status a week after she went missing from "engaged" to "it's complicated" and also texted Nicole's mobile phone after she was declared missing to appear concerned about her.
Devesey was initially arrested on suspicion of fraud after police found he had used Nicole's cash card to withdraw money on several occasions.
When they searched his home they found her bag, purse and a green jacket she was wearing when she was last seen alive.
This led police to scour the rest of his home which led them to make the grim discovery in the cellar.
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