Man jailed for life after admitting murder of Lucy-Anne Rushton in Andover

A man has been jailed for life after admitting to the murder of Lucy-Anne Rushton in Andover.

Shaun Dyson, 28, of Bury Hill Close, Anna Valley, changed his plea to one of guilty during a trial at Winchester Crown Court.

He had previously admitted manslaughter but denied murdering Lucy-Anne.

Officers were called to a house in Suffolk Road, Andover, in the early hours of Sunday 23 June.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, Lucy-Anne was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem found that the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, including to her face, neck, torso and limbs. She had also sustained significant internal injuries.

Today (Friday 20 December), Dyson was jailed for life with a minimum of 17 years.

Detective Inspector Adam Edwards said: “Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the family of Lucy-Anne Rushton.

“Not only have they had to endure what happened that night, but they have had to relive their experience in court.

“I would like to praise their courage and hope that today’s sentence helps them to rebuild their lives.

“The trial heard that Shaun Dyson had been violent towards the victim previously, and his behaviour culminated in the brutal murder of Lucy-Anne.

“Tackling offenders of domestic abuse is a key priority for Hampshire Constabulary, and I hope that today’s sentence gives victims some confidence to come forward and talk to us.”