A MAN has been jailed for life for the murder of a 21-year-old woman from South Lakeland with a Samurai sword at a party in County Durham.

Carie Burns, who was from Kendal, died after she was stabbed and run over following a house party in Consett, Co Durham, in May last year, a court heard.

Hugh Penrose, 36, of Thomas Street, Consett, pleaded guilty to her murder at Newcastle Crown Court on February 12, after previously denying the charge.

Today, (February 21) Judge David Hodson sentenced Penrose to life in prison, saying that he should serve at least 19 years.

Miss Burns had moved to Derwentside from her home in Kendal, less than a month before her death, in the hope of starting a new life.

She started lodging with Penrose, who the court heard was a violent amphetamine addict with a long criminal record.

The court heard how, following an argument, Penrose repeatedly stabbed Miss Burns with the 18-inch blade of the Samurai sword before attacking her with a saucepan.

She managed to stagger into the street and was then deliberately hit with Penrose's Ford Mondeo as he fled the scene.

In sentencing Penrose, Judge Hodson said: "In my judgement there can be no doubt about it, this was a sustained, brutal, savage attack on a defenceless woman with two lethal weapons, the sword and the motor car.

"There can be no doubt you had the clear intention of killing her."

Penrose had a string of previous convictions for violence including the stabbing of a police officer with a screwdriver in 1995, for which he was jailed for five years.

To watch dramatic CCTV footage released by police click on the link below.

For more on this story, see The Westmorland Gazette, out on Friday.