Murderer jailed for life after stamping and kicking on partner and leaving her to die
A killer who stamped and kicked his girlfriend before leaving her to die from her injuries has been jailed for life.
Warren Spence had been in a relationship with Samantha Varley for around six months when the attack happened in February 2024.
Miss Varley, 44, was found dead at a property on Brown Hill Terrance in Harehills, Leeds, on February 12 after a family member had been unable to contact her and raised the alarm.
Police forced entry into the home and found her body inside along with signs of a disturbance, and a murder investigation was launched.
A post-mortem showed she had extensive injuries from an attack which included being repeatedly kicked and stamped on.
Spence beat her with punches, kicks and a hammer which was found in their property, a trial at Leeds Crown court heard.
Prosecutor Stephen Wood KC said the couple's relationship had been "characterised by Spence's controlling behaviour" and an "indiscriminate use of violence towards her".
Bite marks were found on her legs, arms and hands, and clumps of hair were found dotted around the flat, consistent with being ripped from her scalp during a struggle.
Spence, 55, was identified as a suspect for her murder and eventually detectives managed to track him down in Scarborough.
On Monday (Mar 24) he was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years.
A statement from Miss Varley’s family said: “Sam's death has had a devastating impact on all our family, more so as we've learned the awful circumstances in which she was taken from us and the suffering she endured at the hands of what we can only describe as an absolute monster.
“Although Sam's death will remain a heartache forever, her family choose to remember her for the beautiful, kind, loving and funny girl she really was, our Sam.”
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Sam Varley suffered a horrendous catalogue of injuries in a brutal and sustained attack by Warren Spence.
“He then left her there to die without the slightest consideration, and she was not discovered until several days later. He has given no explanation for his violent actions which have left Sam’s family completely devastated by their loss.
“While nothing can bring Sam back, we hope her family can take at least some small measure of comfort from knowing that he has now been held criminally responsible for her death and will have a long time in prison to consider the pain he has caused them.
“West Yorkshire Police remains committed to working alongside our partner agencies to tackle violence against women and girls, particularly domestic abuse, and we urge victims or those who know about their situation to report it to us, either directly or to any of our partner agencies, including the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, so that we can take action to safeguard victims, bring offenders to justice and protect our communities.”