Strangler walked past victim’s mum
Lily, 18, dumped in pond as mother waited nearby to collect her, court hears
A MUM unknowingly watched her daughter’s killer walk away from the spot where he had strangled her moments earlier, a court heard.
Lewis Haines, 31, left 18-year-old Lily Sullivan’s semi-naked body face down in a pond after they met on a night out.
Dad-of-one Haines attacked Lily after they walked to the beauty spot from Out Nightclub in Pembroke, Wales.
A court heard Haines fled the scene while Lily’s mother, Anna Sullivan, was waiting to give her a lift home.
She had been sitting at a nearby garage on December 17 last year.
Lily spoke to her mum at 2.47am, saying: “I’ll be there now, mam. I’m on my way. I’m a couple of minutes away.”
Prosecutor William Hughes QC said her call was cut off and she frantically tried to call her back.
Swansea crown court heard Mrs Sullivan made 30 calls to her daughter but it kept going to voicemail.
Mr Hughes said: “On or around the time of this call is when the prosecution say is when physical contact took place.” The court heard Mrs Sullivan had been sitting at the Green Garage near the Mill Pond when she spotted a man “walking casually, swinging his arms”.
Mr Hughes said: “As she waited for Lily she noticed someone pass behind her car.
“He did not look at Anna Sullivan but he did look at people in the garage.
“He began to act strangely, running across the road even though there was no traffic. He was shaking his head and holding his head in his hands. This occurred at 3.09am.
“Anna Sullivan decided to follow Lewis Haines due to his behaviour. She lost sight of him as he disappeared into woods. He was aware Anna Sullivan was waiting for Lily at that location.”
He added: “The person Anna Sullivan saw at this point was her daughter’s killer.” The court heard Haines returned home at 3.40am and woke his girlfriend Maisie John by banging on the door.
Haines told her: “I have strangled somebody. They are in the Mill Pond.” He took off his long-sleeve black top then confessed to strangling someone at the pond.
The court heard Haines demanded to speak to his mother Sharon Pitman before the pair drove to her home in the early hours.
Mr Hughes said: “Miss John describes him as crying and being hysterical. He kept repeating to her, ‘Take me to my mum. I need to speak to my mum.’”
The court heard he told his mum and stepdad he and Lily “necked” in the club.
Haines claimed he attacked Lily after she threatened to accuse him of being a rapist when she found out he had a girlfriend. He admits murder but denies it was sexually motivated. CCTV played in court showed Lily and Haines meeting while partying with friends.
A pal of Haines’ tried to stop them leav-ing together, yelling to him: “You have a girlfriend and a baby at home. She is only 18.”
The court heard the pair were seen on security cameras walking down an alley towards Mill Pond, with Lily’s phone flashing as she received messages.
Police later found it in the alley 200ft from the water. The court heard the pair had been there together for up to 50 minutes before the attack while CCTV also caught Haines leaving the scene.
A neighbour said she was woken up by a “short, sharp” scream just before the town clock struck 3am. The court heard Haines told police “I strangled her” and “What the f*** have I done?”
The sentencing hearing continues.
He began acting strangely, shaking his head and holding his head in his hands
WILLIAM HUGHES QC ON HAINES AS HE FLED POND WHERE HE KILLED LILY