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5 April 2011
Last updated at 05:45 ET
A man who murdered two women whose bodies were found mutilated and dumped in canals in London and the Netherlands will die in jail, a judge has ruled.
John Sweeney, 54, of no fixed address, had denied murdering Paula Fields, 31, and 33-year-old Melissa Halstead.
Ms Halstead's body was found in a Rotterdam canal in 1990. Miss Fields was found in Regent's Canal in 2001.
The Old Bailey ordered Sweeney, originally from Merseyside, to serve a whole-life tariff.
Judge Mr Justice Saunders said: "These were terrible, wicked crimes.
"The heads of the victims having been removed, it is impossible to be certain how they were killed.
"The mutilation of the bodies is a serious aggravating feature of the murders."
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He explained: "Not only does it reveal the cold-blooded nature of the killer, but it has added greatly to the distress of the families to know that parts of the bodies of their loved ones have never been recovered.
"Why the killings occurred, I cannot be sure, but I am satisfied that this defendant is controlling in his relationships with women and, chillingly, that control extends to deciding whether they should live or die."
He added that he was not considering an early release provision.
Sweeney received a further 10-year sentence for perverting the course of justice.
The two murders were linked in February 2010 and Liverpool-born Sweeney was arrested at Gartree Prison in Leicestershire, where he was serving life for an axe attack on another former girlfriend.
In a statement read out following the verdict at the Old Bailey on Monday, Ms Halstead's family said they hoped that Sweeney would "never be allowed free to carry out such crimes again".
Detectives had found several weapons and 300 pieces of gruesome artwork and poems in his north London house.
Several other artworks were also found in his prison cell in Gartree Prison when he was arrested for the two murders in 2010.
The Metropolitan Police said the force was still trying to trace three unidentified women who have not been seen for several years. Detectives believe they may have been ex-girlfriends of Sweeney.
Det Ch Insp Howard Groves, who led the investigation, said: "As he contemplates a life behind bars, I can assure him that this investigation will continue as we seek to identify and trace other potential victims in the UK, Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, who may have suffered a similar fate to that of Melissa and Paula."
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John Sweeney, 54, of no fixed address, had denied murdering Paula Fields, 31, and 33-year-old Melissa Halstead.
Ms Halstead's body was found in a Rotterdam canal in 1990. Miss Fields was found in Regent's Canal in 2001.
The Old Bailey ordered Sweeney, originally from Merseyside, to serve a whole-life tariff.
Judge Mr Justice Saunders said: "These were terrible, wicked crimes.
"The heads of the victims having been removed, it is impossible to be certain how they were killed.
"The mutilation of the bodies is a serious aggravating feature of the murders."
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
This investigation will continue as we seek to identify other victims who may have suffered a similar fate ”
End Quote
Det Ch Insp Howard Groves
Metropolitan Police
He explained: "Not only does it reveal the cold-blooded nature of the killer, but it has added greatly to the distress of the families to know that parts of the bodies of their loved ones have never been recovered.
"Why the killings occurred, I cannot be sure, but I am satisfied that this defendant is controlling in his relationships with women and, chillingly, that control extends to deciding whether they should live or die."
He added that he was not considering an early release provision.
Sweeney received a further 10-year sentence for perverting the course of justice.
The two murders were linked in February 2010 and Liverpool-born Sweeney was arrested at Gartree Prison in Leicestershire, where he was serving life for an axe attack on another former girlfriend.
In a statement read out following the verdict at the Old Bailey on Monday, Ms Halstead's family said they hoped that Sweeney would "never be allowed free to carry out such crimes again".
Detectives had found several weapons and 300 pieces of gruesome artwork and poems in his north London house.
Several other artworks were also found in his prison cell in Gartree Prison when he was arrested for the two murders in 2010.
The Metropolitan Police said the force was still trying to trace three unidentified women who have not been seen for several years. Detectives believe they may have been ex-girlfriends of Sweeney.
Det Ch Insp Howard Groves, who led the investigation, said: "As he contemplates a life behind bars, I can assure him that this investigation will continue as we seek to identify and trace other potential victims in the UK, Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, who may have suffered a similar fate to that of Melissa and Paula."
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