Man who killed Plymouth University lecturer jailed for life
A man has been jailed for a minimum of 27 years for the murder of his estranged wife in Plymouth.
Paul Butler, 53, of Stangray Avenue, Plymouth, previously pleaded guilty to stabbing to death 48-year-old university lecturer Claire Chick.
Ms Chick was found seriously injured in West Hoe Road on the evening of 22 January and died later in hospital.
Judge Robert Linford at Plymouth Crown Court told Butler it was “nothing less than sheer murderous brutality”.
Members of Ms Chick’s family, including her then-partner Paul Maxwell, watched as CCTV showed Butler’s movements in the hours before the attack, including the footage which showed her being stabbed by him at least 23 times.
The court heard victim impact statements from Ms Chick’s daughters Bethany Hancock-Baxter and Lydia Peers.
