Sick paedo who stalked girl, 12, and kept 1,800 pics of her then raped and murdered teacher before her wedding day is jailed for life
Killer Vincent Stanford targeted bride-to-be Stephanie Scott when he learned the child he planned to attack was out of town
PAEDO killer Vincent Stanford has been jailed for life for the savage murder of a schoolteacher - as the court hears he also planned to attack a 12-year-old girl.
Disturbed Stanford, 25, slaughtered Stephanie Scott, 26, a week before her wedding as she travelled to school in New South Wales, Australia in April last year.
The depraved killer received a life sentence for the murder and an additional 15 years for aggravated sexual assault.
The court also heard how Stanford stalked three other females including a 12-year-old girl - who he was obsessed with and secretly photographed thousands of times.
But when the twisted deviant learned the child was out of town, he then became fixated on bride-to-be Stephanie.
The murderer said he “went a little nuts” when he slayed Scott and felt like “he should” kill her.
related stories
Appearing at the supreme court in Griffith, NSW, there were shouts of “yes” from the public gallery when the sentence was read out.
Justice Robert Allan Hulme said: “I am satisfied that this is a case of murder that clearly falls within the worst category.”
The victim’s mother, Merrilyn Scott, issued a statement outside court.
She said: “The past 18 months have been the most difficult and harrowing time.
“So much has been taken away from us. Stephanie has had everything taken away from her.
“Stephanie embodied all that is good about humankind. She made a tangible difference to the lives of so many people. Stephanie would want us to resume our lives.
“We need to be kind to ourselves and let the music and fun back in. We need to be able to fade from public view, to mourn our beautiful girl and work our way through our grief.”
Stanford searched online about violent assaults including “bride rape” and “bride kidnapping” weeks before he attacked Stephanie Scott, court documents reveal.
He on April 8 last year, but the majority of ‘bride’ searches occurred while he was working casually at Leeton High School.
The documents state: “The search histories from the offender’s phone and computer reveal the offender very regularly searched in relation to violent rape, violent sex, hard core porn, and murder.
"He also conducts searches in relation to necrophilia and ‘necro rape’."
Ms Scott was killed by “blunt force trauma” to the head after Stanford attacked her from behind and dragged her to a storeroom where he unleashed a furious assault on her.
The day before the murder he purchased a knife and handcuffs, and attempted to buy leg-cuffs. The items were intercepted by police after he had been arrested for Ms Scott’s murder.
Merrilyn Scott previously said Stanford was “pathetic” and lived an “inept life” and had no right to take Stephanie’s life.
She said he waited at work for Stephanie and his evil plan “swung into action”.
“He should not have been there but such is his arrogance he did as he pleased.”
Mrs Scott said the family struggled that the last person Stephanie saw was a man she had only ever been “polite to”.
Mrs Scott said as a contract cleaner Stanford had access to at least six schools and he showed “many behaviours that should have raised red flags” before he went onto kill her daughter.
She spoke of the heartbreaking days after Stephanie’s charred remains were found in the national park and how the family gathered with Leeton locals for a picnic to celebrate her life on what was supposed to be her wedding day.
Instead of beginning her life journey with Mr Leeson-Woolley, she was “alone” in the morgue and about to begin a journey to the coroner at Glebe in Sydney.
Mrs Scott told of standing in a room “full of coffins” trying to pick one for her daughter who was at the height of her “happiness and loveliness”.
When they finally got her body back she was so damaged the “body bag wasn’t to be opened”, another blow for her loved ones who were desperate to see her one more time.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368