Woman given life sentence for battering her lesbian lover to death leaving her looking like the ‘Elephant Man’

A WOMAN has been jailed for life after battering her lesbian lover to death.
“Bullying” Becky Reid, 32, regularly kicked, punched and stamped on mother-of-one Lyndsey Vaux, 30, leaving her “looking like the Elephant Man”, Manchester Crown Court heard.
She was today sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years after a jury found her guilty of murder and grievous bodily harm to another previous partner, Samantha Newns, following a six-week trial.
Reid’s mother, Gillian Reid, 57, was cleared of murder but found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Samantha.
She received a 12 month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.
The court heard Lyndsey died on May 22 last year having suffered 90 separate injuries following a “cruel and abusive” seven-year relationship with Reid.
Neighbours, shopkeepers and other witnesses told how Lyndsey was often seen being dragged by her hair, punched, kicked and stamped on by Becky as she screamed abuse at her in the streets around their home in Platt Bridge, Wigan.
In the final months before her death Lyndsey appeared downtrodden, malnourished, constantly bruised and going downhill rapidly.
One neighbour told jurors she “looked like she was dead already,” and another said Lyndsey looked like she had been in a car accident.
Inside the Reids’ home jurors heard that on one occasion Becky kicked Lyndsey hard in the face for putting salad on her burger.
Often Lyndsey would be sent out limping in the streets in the rain begging and scrounging by Reid to get money for scratchcards, “smoke and cans” to feed her own alcohol and cannabis habits, and if she did not bring back enough money would be beaten.

Jurors heard police were called numerous times but Lyndsey would make excuses for her injuries and refused to co-operate.
Experts concluded she died not from a single fatal injury but from the combined effects of multiple injuries over several months.
Passing sentence Judge Rochard Mansell QC asked Lyndsey’s 13-year old daughter from a previous relationship to come into court and told her: ”I want you to know that we have heard that your mother was a really decent, kind and gentle woman and no one had a bad word to say about her.”
He told Reid: “You took control of Lyndsey’s life to such an extent that she gradually withdrew from family and friends. It is perfectly clear that she loved you, but she feared you and your violent temper.  You manipulated her emotions whilst justifying your own behaviour and you  delivered regular and sustained beatings to her.
“The violence you committed towards her was frequent, sustained, brutal and merciless. It was an exercise in control, dominance, punishment and denigration.
“She was too frightened to defy you, stand up to you or fight back.  She was too frightened to accept the help offered her by the police and many locals and she was simply terrified to leave you.
“You have displayed no remorse for your actions.”
Reid denied using any violence against Lyndsey.
As police investigated her death they became aware of an earlier partner of Reid, who was also beaten up by both mother and daughter.
Samantha Newns met Reid in an online chat room for lesbians in 2004 and they began a relationship which became increasingly violent.
Samantha said she was assaulted around 50 times by Reid.
Senior Investigating Officer Bob Tonge of GMP’s Major Incident Support Unit said “Lyndsey Vaux was subjected to years of horrific domestic abuse at the hands of her girlfriend, and no decision made here today can bring her back.
“My thoughts are with Lyndsey’s family at this difficult time, and I hope this sentence goes some way to finding them justice.”