Murder of Jane Longhurst

Jane Longhurst (6 November 1971 – 14 March 2003) was a British special-needs teacher and musician who was murdered by Graham Coutts on 14 March 2003.^[1] Longhurst's partly decomposed body was found burning in woodland in West Sussex on 19 April. Coutts, who was dating Longhurst's best friend, was a guitarist and part-time salesperson living in Brighton.

Coutts admitted to causing Longhurst's death. He claimed that Longhurst had died accidentally during consensual erotic asphyxiation, although the prosecution maintained that there was no evidence suggesting the two had been lovers. Coutts was convicted of murder on 3 February 2004, and sentenced to a life term serving a minimum of 30 years (reduced to 26 years on appeal on 26 January 2005). The conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal on 19 July 2006, and a new trial started on 12 June 2007.^[2] He was again found guilty on 4 July 2007.