Leeds addict strangled mother of his kids to death after cocaine binge

Evil Jordan Thackray, 28, from Leeds, had been in a tumultuous six year 'on and off' relationship with Jessica King, 23. He had returned from a month long coke bender when he discovered Miss King had been seeing someone else while he had been away. Bradford Crown Court heard Thackray had sent a haunting message to a friend on Facebook prior to his binge warning he was going to kill. It said: ''I'm going away for a few weeks. When I come back people are going in the graveyard brother. I swear on my kids life. If you see her inbox me." When he returned from his absence, "jealous" Thackray forced Miss King to send him a Snapchat of who she was with - to prove she wasn't with her new "companion". On the day of her death, Prosecutor Jason Pitter QC told the court a call took place between Thackray and Miss King. Thackray, of Belle Isle, had said to Miss King: "Slag. Watch what I do to you. If I can't have you no-one can. What do you think I am going to do to you?" Miss King replied: "I know what you are going to do to me, you are going to kill me." Prosecutor Mr Pitter QC told the court a laugh was heard from Thackray's end of the line. Just hours after the call took place, Miss King returned to the family home with Thackray - against the advice of her sister. The murder is said to have taken place sometime during the night of August 26. Thackray sold her car and phone to his friend the following day before he pleaded to staff at Mecca Bingo in Leeds, West Yorks., to call police on August 28 and "tell his mum he was sorry". Thackray, of Halifax, West Yorks., was due to stand trial in February but pleaded guilty to the murder of Miss King at a hearing in December. The court heard Miss King was the mother to his four year old and five months old daughters. Paul Greaney QC, in mitigation, said in a confession letter he "didn't expect forgiveness from nobody" and that he was not a bad person. Sentencing Thackray, Judge Durham Hall QC said: "When you murdered by strangling to death Jessica King you were killing the mother of your two children, in her home on her bed with her children, your children, nearby. "You would have been looking into her eyes and would have known what he was doing at that time. "You knew when you committed that act it was an act of incomprehensible wickedness. "The impact on this family is incalculable. She was a brilliant mum, I have been told." The judge sentenced Thackray to life imprisonment with a minimum period of 17 years. Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Jaz Khan said; "Whilst in pleading guilty Thackray has accepted his actions and taken responsibility for taking Jessica's life this does not in any way change the fact that he brutally, and intentionally killed Jessica and has left two young children without their mother, and her whole family devastated by their sudden loss. "Whilst Thackray's conviction and sentencing cannot bring Jessica back, I hope that it goes someway to bring closure to what has understandably been a distressing time for Jessica's family, and that they can begin to move forward with their lives."