An internet Romeo who battered his girlfriend to death then dumped her body 120 miles away on bleak moorland was found guilty of manslaughter today but cleared of her murder.
Adrian Muir, 51, recorded three taped confessions on his mobile phone as he contemplated suicide after killing Pamela Jackson, 55.
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The family of Ms Jackson gasped from the public gallery as the jury's verdict was read out, while several of them began to cry as the courtroom emptied and Muir, dressed in a blue jacket and white t-shirt, was led out.
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Detective Superintendent Ken Donnelly of Durham Police, the senior investigating officer, said that Muir caused great pain to Ms Jackson's family by refusing to say where she had been buried and tried to thwart the investigation at every turn.
He described Muir as "a calculating and resourceful killer" who "sought every opportunity to cover his tracks and put the blame on others".
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