Roofer who murdered Irish-born girlfriend with scissors jailed for life

By Ted Hennessey, PA

A “sadistic” roofer who murdered his pregnant girlfriend with a pair of scissors and a weight has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years.

Liam Taylor, 37, stabbed Irish-born Ailish Walsh, who was almost 23 weeks pregnant with a girl, more than 40 times and smashed her head with a dumbbell at their flat in Hackney, east London, on December 15th last year.

He pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Walsh, 28, in what judge Nigel Lickley KC, sentencing him at the Old Bailey on Thursday, called a “ferocious, brutal and savage” attack.

Mr Lickley, addressing Taylor, who watched from Belmarsh prison, said it was an “extreme example of domestic abuse”.

The judge went on: “You betrayed her trust in that you murdered her in her own home.”

He said the attack was both “sadistic” and “sexual” in nature, because the roofer targeted certain parts of the victim’s body.

Mr Lickley said Taylor is “clearly” a man capable of using weapons to carry out violence.

Friends and family cheered and applauded in court as Taylor, who had his head in his hands, was sentenced.

The court heard the pair had a “volatile relationship” and that Taylor was upset about Ms Walsh’s latest pregnancy because he had two girls and wanted a boy.

The victim was discovered covered in blood and unconscious in her bedroom by her own father.

Taylor, who had cocaine, cannabis and alcohol in his system, was arrested at his home the morning after the attack.

As he was taken into custody, he told police: “It’s crazy how one moment of madness can change your whole life.”

Taylor has previous convictions for attacking female members of his family, and was jailed for 12 months for assaulting his mother with a metal pole and cautioned for headbutting his sister when she was 16.