Natalie Jarvis's murderer Adam Whelehan to spend minimum 26 years in jail

Judge Philip Statman sentenced him to life imprisonment at Maidstone Crown Court this morning, with a minimum term of 26 years.

Whelehan appeared emotionless as the verdict was delivered and he shook his head as he was taken from the dock.

He said Whelehan may not necessarily be released after serving the minimum term, but if paroled, he would still be on license for the remainder of his life.

It took jurors at Maidstone Crown Court just four hours yesterday (April 24) to find him guilty while clearing co-defendant Tom Fuller.

Of the 12 jurors, 11 returned to court this morning to hear how many years Whelehan was jailed for.

Whelehan, aged 23, of Rosebery Avenue, Sidcup, stabbed his girlfriend Miss Jarvis to death with a silver multi-tool in a country lane car park in Button Street on October 3 last year.

He killed her because he wanted to end their relationship, which began in June last year, and saw murder as the only way out.

On sentencing Whelehan this morning, Judge Statman said: "“On October 3 you lured Natalie Jarvis from her home address with an offer sent by text message of casual sex which was to have taken place in your vehicle.

“She made the journey with you to the area of Button Street, a quiet location as we can see from our photos, and where the two of you had journeyed before.

“You had with you, in your vehicle, a multi-tool which had within its body a knife.

“You took that weapon of offence with you, in my judgement, with the express purpose if stabbing Natalie Jarvis to death.

“On arrival at Button Street, both of you exited the car and then you proceeded to stab Natalie Jarvis to death inflicting 20 stab wounds to her neck.”

He added: “You left her for dead. Your attack upon her was callous. It was savage and it was pre-meditated.

“I am fortified in my views by the manner in which you gave your evidence before the jury.

“No sign or indeed flicker of emotion.”

He continued: “What led to this lively young woman being deprived of her precious life?

“The answer, in my judgement, lies in the text messages passing between you and your friends between July and October of 2012.

“You showed in the messages you sent utter contempt for her, vilifying her wherever possible when speaking to others about her.

“You could have changed your phone or you could have met her and spoken in a civil and quiet way.

Mr Statman added the jury had seen CCTV footage of Whelehan’s behaviour in the aftermath of the attack, where he met friends and drank alcohol.

He said: “Not a thought for what you had done to her or what you had done to her beloved family.

"I can see the texts that you sent on that particular night and that final chilling text you sent to your friends Mr Woods and Mr Hughes.

"The text read: "Done, not lying, covered in blood, so sorry I let you boys down."

"No sentence is good enough for that evil perpetrator Adam Whelehan"

The judge was given an "extremely eloquently written" victim impact statement written by father Mark Jarvis.

Judge Statman said the nine-page document was “extremely moving”.

Addressing the Jarvis family in court, he said: “Throughout this process, if I may say so, all of you have behaved with the utmost dignity.

“I wish, if I may, express to you at this stage now that this case has come to a conclusion my sincere condolences to all of you and I very much hope that with the passage of time this terrible grief will be something that you are able to cope with.”

Reading a statement on behalf of the Jarvis family outside Maidstone Crown Court today, Mark Jarvis said: “No sentence is good enough for that evil perpetrator Adam Whelahan.

“Our lives will never be the same again without our beautiful Natalie.”

"It has been hell on earth"

Mother Adele Jarvis added: “We have not left this court with the knowledge of why Natalie died.

She added: “I think he (Whelehan) wanted to kill someone and it was Natalie. Whether he wanted to be famous, I don’t know.

“He is just a vile horrible person. He has to live with what he has done but if you look at him in court, he doesn’t look like he cares."

Speaking about the way Natalie told Whelehan she was pregnant with his child, Mrs Jarvis said: "She is guilty of being silly. But just silly.

"That is not a reason to kill her.

"It breaks my heart to know that the last thing she wanted on that evening was me. She wanted me. She wanted us.

"He [Whelehan] could have done anythinG. But he didn't and we don't understand why and we will never understand why. "

"Every day it is so quiet, we barely speak"

Speaking about life since Natalie's death, Mrs Jarvis said: "Every day it is so sad and quiet, we barely speak.

"We don't want to go out. Sometimes we have to make ourselves go out.

"I don't know how we move forward. I hope as a family we can stay together.

“It has been hell on earth.”

From the start of the trial, Whelehan accepted he stabbed Miss Jarvis to death but claimed he did so in lawful self-defence.

Fuller, also 23, of Oakley Drive, Eltham, hid in the boot of Whelahan’s red Renault Clio and was accused of acting as a "getaway driver" but was cleared by the jury.

Miss Jarvis was found face-down by a passer-by on the ground in Swanley Village Road after suffering more than 20 stab wounds.

In the months leading up to her death, Miss Jarvis told Whelehan she was pregnant with his child after the pair had sex on just one occasion in his car in July.

A post-mortem examination following her death revealed Miss Jarvis was not pregnant at the time she died.

In his closing argument, prosecutor Ian Acheson described Whelehan as a "cold and calculated executioner”.

"He will be spending the rest of his youth exactly where he deserves to be - in prison"

Speaking after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Inspector Gavin Moss from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: “Natalie was a young, popular girl, with many happy years and experiences to look forward to with her family and friends; Adam Whelehan stole that from her.

“Whelehan is a young man, but will be spending the rest of his youth exactly where he deserves to be – in prison.”

Judge Statman also took time at the end of this mornings hearing to praise the police officers involved in the case.

He said: "The officers in this case have been here each day.

“It has been policing of the highest order.

Mr Moss - you and your team have presented this case in an impeccable manner."

He described the technology used in the case as “extremely exciting," adding: “I use those words because the picture can be painted for them (jurors) in an extraordinary way."

After the case, senior crown prosecutor Alistair Dickson said: “This verdict brings justice for Natalie and we hope that her family can finally begin to repair their lives, following these dreadful events.

"Whelehan’s failure to face what he had done or even admit his guilty at an early stage, when faced with overwhelming evidence, has only prolonged the suffering to Natalie’s family.

"Even now, the motivation for this terrible crime remains a mystery."

“It is clear the jury carefully considered the case against Fuller and could not be sure beyond reasonable doubt that his actions meant he should be convicted as a secondary party to murder.

"What was shown during the trial was that he had numerous opportunities to notify the police and prevent Natalie’s death and instead, he did nothing.

This is something that should weigh heavily on his conscience.”