2016, Nottinghamshire

Hannah met her killer, James Morton, 24, on the day she died.  She was "heavily intoxicated" when she died, and Morton was sober and was reported as being obsessed with strangulation, frequently watching porn featuring strangulation of women.  Although the judge said Morton had strangled Hannah "without warning or permission", Morton claimed he began to lightly strangle Hannah, which he said she did not object to, before more forcefully strangling her.  He waited 20 minutes after he saw Hannah had stopped breathing to phone 999, and after smashing her phone because it was ringing. The jury cleared him of murder and found him guilty of manslaughter.

Manslaughter, 12 years

2016, Northampton

India, 20, wanted to be a paramedic. She had been drinking with friends and had become separated from them outside a nightclub. She was approached by Edward Tenniswood, 52, who she had not previously met, and who led her back to his home and killed her. In his trial for her rape and murder, he claimed she had died accidentally in 'his overeagnerness to please her'. Like most of the other women on this page, India's killer's story that she had died during a consensual kinky sex session were widely and robotically repeated in news reports. Her killer was convicted of both rape and murder of India, and sentenced to 12 years concurrently for her rape. Tenniswood had been arrested for another rape 11 days before killing India, but had no previous convictions.

Murder, life, 30 years

2002, Northampton

Lorna is killed by her boyfriend Andrew Murray, convicted of rape and murder, with his friend Carl Stokes acquitted of murder and rape and later convicted of false imprisonment. Murray and Stokes kidnapped Lorna and tied her to a bed. Stokes claimed he was tricked into a bondage and rape sex game gone wrong, and "I didn't know she was in any danger. I had no reason to distrust Murray". 

Murder, life, min term 14 years

2002, Camden, London

Elizabeth was from Nottingham and was mum to a daughter. She was murdered by Anthony Hardy. Hardy had previously murdered Sally White, but Sally’s death was ruled as being from natural causes. Elizabeth’s dismembered body was found with Brigitte Maclennan’s in a bin near Hardy’s home. All three women met Hardy when working as prostitutes in the King’s Cross red light district.

Hardy had stalked and attempted to kill his wife and was a suspect in three rapes. Described as “pornography-obsessed”, Hardy claimed he had killed Sally, Elizabeth and Brigitte by accident as part of a bondage sex game - but at court admitted murdering them, and received three life sentences. He is suspected to have killed two other women.

Murder, life