Man found guilty of 'brutal' murder of Havant teenager Louise Smith

A 30-year-old man who lured teenager Louise Smith to woodland, where he killed her with "breath-taking brutality'', has been found guilty of murder.

"Predatory'' Shane Mays walked with the 16-year-old to the secluded spot in Havant Thicket on VE Day, where he repeatedly punched her in the face, causing her fatal injuries.

He then defiled her with a stick before burning the body, which was found 13 days later following a major police search.

James Newton-Price QC, prosecuting, told the trial at Winchester Crown Court: "A determined attempt had been made to destroy her body, which was so badly burned and damaged by fire as to be unrecognisable.

"Her body had been subjected to extreme violence and violation, including repeated and heavy blows to her head.''

The defendant showed no emotion as the unanimous verdict was announced, and cries of "Yes'' could be heard from the public gallery.

The "vulnerable'' student had moved in with the defendant and his wife, Chazlynn Jayne (CJ) Mays - the victim's aunt - at the end of April, after she had quarrelled'' with her mother.

But arguments broke out between the three and Louise complained to her boyfriend, Bradley Kercher, that Mays would "flirt'' with her and pin her down, and the jury was shown a Snapchat video of him tickling her feet.

Mr Newton-Price said: "Louise was just 16, she was anxious, needy, fragile and vulnerable, vulnerable to the attentions of a predatory man who was apparently flirting with her and living in the same small flat.''

He suggested that Mays had persuaded Louise to walk with him to the woodland by offering her cannabis, with the aim of sexually assaulting her.

Mays told the court that he punched Louise "many'' times to the face and had heard her bones "crack'', after losing his temper.

He said: "I just carried on, I lost control of myself. She made a moaning noise, that's when I stopped.''

The court heard that a clinical review of the defendant found he had an extremely low'' IQ of 63, putting him in the bottom one percentile of people.

He told the court that he had not worked for five years and spent nine hours a day playing video games.

Following her death, Louise, who was training to be a veterinary nurse, was described by her family as a "smiley, generous person''.

The judge, Mrs Justice May, adjourned the case for sentencing on Wednesday.

Thanking the jury, she said: "You cannot have imagined that you would be sitting on a case like this.

"I want to thank each of you for the attention you have given and your attendance during the pandemic.''

Detective Inspector Adam Edwards, Senior Investigating Officer for the case, said: “Louise was just 16-years-old when she was murdered by Shane Mays, and her death is an absolute tragedy. Our thoughts remain with her family, friends and all that knew her.

"Louise had been described as a smiley, generous person who was known for her kindness, and this is how she will be remembered.

"This was a huge investigation involving a large amount of people from a number of departments across Hampshire Constabulary. Officers and staff worked tirelessly to put the pieces of this awful tragedy together, and bring the case.

"I want to thank everyone who worked on this investigation for their determination and commitment.

"We are also immensely grateful to the Leigh Park community for the support they have shown to our investigation, which has helped bring the person responsible for Louise’s death to justice."

Rebbecca Cooper, Louise's mother, said in a statement:

"We would like to thank everyone who contributed in finding justice for our beautiful daughter Louise.

"No words can describe the loss we feel on a daily basis. She was our sunshine, and is truly missed by all that knew her.

"I cannot put it into words, but the pain inside is unbelievable just knowing we will never see her again.

"It has been a very hard few months, and the last four weeks have been traumatising to say the least.

"I want to say thank you to Mr Newton-Price and his team for all the hard work you have done on this case, and thank you to the police for everything you have done for us as a family.

"Please respect our wishes and let us finally grieve for our daughter."

Louise's father, Bradley Smith, has released the following statement:

"Louise was very much loved her whole young life. As a family, we wanted to give her happy times like taking her on holiday.

"We all find it impossible to accept that we will never hear her voice or see her cheeky smile again.

"Our chance to see her grow up has been ripped away from us.

"As a father, I moved away to try and build a life for both of us. I’ll never get a chance to share that with her.

"The loss of Louise has destroyed our family.

"I want to thank the community of Leigh Park for supporting my family and the investigation into her killing.

"Please respect our privacy, and allow us to grieve as a family."

Mays, of Somborne Drive in Leigh Park, will appear at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday (9 December) for sentencing.