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A DRUNK teenager who beat up a mum of two, sexually assaulted her and dumped her in a river where she drowned was jailed for life yesterday.

Alex Young, 17, and his pal Lewis Hayward, 14, met Helen Maughan, 24, as she headed home from an all-day drinking session.

They had knocked back strong lager and wine before sharing a drink with Helen, a court heard.

Then Young punched and kicked her before sexually assaulting her and throwing her – with Hayward’s help – into the River Colne in Colchester, Essex.

The yobs, who were 16 and 13 at the time, fled the scene but later bragged about the killing.

Helen’s half-naked body was discovered floating in the river two days after the killing.

She had 22 separate injuries to her head, face and body.

Young and Hayward were convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court last month.

At the Old Bailey yesterday Young got life for murder, with a minimum of 15 years.

Hayward got four years for manslaughter plus a licence period of two years.

He has spent almost a year on remand at a secure children’s unit and is likely to be free in just over 12 months.

Mr Justice Bean QC called Young “a very dangerous young man” who “dominated” Hayward.

He added: “A 16-year-old drunken lout is sadly an all too familiar figure in our criminal courts.”

He was taken aback by the involvement of Hayward, but said his behaviour in letting the attack take place was “contemptible”.

He added: “I am old-fashioned enough to find it shocking that a 13-year-old was given money to spend several hours a week drinking alcohol and roaming the streets of Colchester.”

He also said the role of CCTV in nailing Helen’s killers and clearing her boyfriend Simon Elam – initially a suspect – had been crucial.

He added: “Those who oppose the use of CCTV should consider the facts of this case carefully.”


credits to THE SUN