An “obsessive and violent” Beckenham man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend over a row about her Facebook password.

Kane Boyce, 34, was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury earlier today (March 2) of murdering Paula Newman, 20, also from Beckenham.

Boyce, of Aviemore Close, was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum of 20 years.

There were gasps from the public gallery as the verdict was announced.

The court previously heard how Boyce punched and kicked Miss Newman to death, stamping on her head when she stopped him from reading her online messages on November 12 2013.

Miss Newman, who had learning difficulties, had been in a relationship with Boyce for seven months.

She died of severe brain damage following the assault in the early hours of November 13.

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Paula Newman

Judge Paul Worsley QC said: "The attack was a sustained and brutal assault using fists and feet and your superior force.”

Judge Worsley described him as "controlling, obsessive and violent" towards women.

He added: “Paula was a vulnerable woman.

“Besotted by you, she was only 20 and you were 13 years her senior, almost a foot taller and you weighed some seven stone more than she did.

"The attack was a systematic, brutal assault using fists and feet and your superior force.

"You had a history of violence and controlling behaviour towards her.

"You have a record of cowardly attacks towards other women going back 15 years."

The court heard he had a history of violence towards women and his former partners.

Some resulted in convictions for assault but most of his victims were too scared to take things further with police.

On the night of the murder a witness said they heard Boyce shouting: "Log on, log on".

MORE TOP STORIES After he beat her in a “brutal” sustained attack, he flung her from his car onto a street in New Addington.

Boyce gave different accounts of what had happened, including claiming Miss Newman jumped out of his moving car.

But a post-mortem examination found extensive injuries which the pathologist concluded were from an assault rather than a fall.

READ MORE STORIES FROM THE KANE BOYCE CASE

Boyce was said to be obsessed with accessing her Facebook account and had accused Miss Newman of cheating on him.

Giving evidence last Monday (February 24), Boyce had said the couple regularly logged into each other’s Facebook to give themselves ‘lives’ on game Candy Crush.

Boyce admitted manslaughter but denied murder.

Read our previous coverage here.