Lucy McHugh: Killer sentenced to life in prison with minimum of 33 years for 'execution-style' murder of schoolgirl

Stephen Nicholson, 25, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court today and the judge ruled that he will have to serve a minimum of 33 years. 

Sentencing Nicholson, the judge, Mrs Justice May, told him: ‘This was a pitiless attack on a child following months of sexual exploitation.

‘The prosecution has described it as an execution and I am satisfied this is correct.

‘The combination of his cold narcissism and hot anger dictated that she had to be put out of the way and he saw to it that this was done.’

Lucy McHugh was 13 when she was killed by Nicholson, who stabbed her repeatedly, in a woodland area in Southampton last July. 

He was also convicted of three counts of rape when she was aged 12, by the jury at Winchester Crown Court yesterday.