Moment son of wealthy woman murdered by bondage sex obsessed neighbour confronted her killer in court
Killer sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years
THE SON of a 65-year-old woman murdered in her home during a 'sexually motivated' attack has told his mother's killer "there is no sentence long enough for you".
The killer of Christine James was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years at Cardiff Crown Court this afternoon.
Kris Wade, 37, admitted cutting the grandmother's throat as she was supposed to be heading on a family holiday to Florida.
Mrs James, a company director and mother-in-law of former Wales rugby captain Jonathan Humphreys, had recently moved to the luxury apartment block, where her killer lived and police later found her body.
Wade admitted killing the 65-year-old, who was found in the hallway of her flat with a "gag" used in sadomasochistic sex underneath her.
Mr Justice Williams told the defendant his actions caused Mrs James' family "great anguish and distress", has reported.
He said: “There is only one sentence I can impose and that is life imprisonment.”
The judge said Wade "resorted to brutal and savage violence" after Mrs James rejected his advances when he went to her flat ";with a suitcase of sex toys".
Mr Justice Williams told Wade: “Following the assault Mrs Jones was left lying on the ground. She must have died comparatively soon after. You left her for dead.”
But, he said there was no evidence of sexual assault and he does not believe Wade went to the flat with the intention of killing Mrs James.
Cardiff Crown Court had heard that the mother-of-two was found on March 2, after her pilot son raised the alarm after she failed to catch a British Airways flight to Florida.
Police found her body in a pool of blood at her exclusive apartment in Cardiff Bay, Wales.
Prosecutor Paul Lewis QC said: "It was a brutal attack in which a knife was used to inflict the injuries. He has never offered an account or explanation of why.
"Police found bondage items, including a straitjacket, black rope, handcuffs, a ball gag, mask and incontinence pads in his bedroom.
"He had a clear interest in sadomasochistic sex. The incident was sexually motivated although there is no evidence of a sexual assault."
Mrs James, who ran a garage and property businesses with her husband, had started a new life just three months before her killing.
She had parted from her husband, Stuart, after more than 30 years of marriage and moved into a waterside apartment as well as buying a new BMW.
But, the 5ft 4in grandmother was killed by burly 6ft 1in Wade who lived in the flat above hers.
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Mr Lewis said: "Officers searched his flat and in a wardrobe they found a large black trolleyed suitcase which had bloodstains on it.
";That suitcase had been taken to the flat and was in the flat when Christine James was killed.
"The bloodstains matched that of Christine James.
"Inside the suitcase was a broken Mancini bracelet and the DNA from that also matched that of the deceased.
"There was also a blood-stained black handcuff within the suitcase and the DNA profile of that matched Mrs James."
Her son Jason described her killing as "brutal and senseless".
He told the court: "Mum in the weeks before her death was in good spirits, enjoying her new found freedom.
"She became happier and was visiting and making more friends than ever. She was looking forward to what life held for her.
"Less than four months later she was dead.
"It's devastating to lose her in such a brutal and senseless act, in a way which Wade has never provided an explanation or any remorse.
"What's certain is that it was a sustained and barbaric attack that may have taken place over several hours or even two days.
"Wade never stopped to think about the consequences, and even chose to live upstairs from her in the days after her murder.
"I pray every day that my mother was unconscious when he dealt that fatal blow with a knife and never saw it coming.
"To say our family feel pain on an hourly basis is an understatement.
"There's no sentence which will bring my mother back, and no sentence which will reflect the pain he inflicted on my mother and our family.
"My mother will not be around to see her grandchildren grow up. We as a family mourn her loss daily.
"My children have taken the loss of their grandmother badly. We have all had to take counselling."
Mrs James had started packing for her holiday and had her hair done for the trip.
Cardiff Crown Court heard police were baffled by the killing and initially arrested her estranged husband.
But loner Wade was arrested after other neigbhours in Dubrovnik House reported strange activity.
The court heard a neighbour had seen Wade through a door spyhole carrying two black bin bags.
The neighbour decided to follow him down in the lift to the basement but then left when he heard sobbing.
Pathologist Dr Richard Jones, who carried out the post-mortem, said there was bruising all over Mrs James' scalp, ear, forehead and jaw.
He said:" There was one "gaping wound" on her neck."
Wade's defending counsel John Charles Rees QC said it was not a "sustained" attack and stressed that there was no sexual assault.
He said: “There may have been sexual motivation, but there was no sexual assault.”
At the end of the trial the judge told Mrs James' family: “This has been a harrowing ordeal for you to endure, yet you have conducted yourselves with restraint and dignity throughout.”
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