Life sentence for Telford murderer
A man from Telford has been sentenced to life in prison at Stafford Crown Court for the murder of Davinia Loynton.
Davinia's body was discovered in her flat on St John Street, Wellington, Telford, on 22 September 2014. Known to her family and friends as Dink, the 59-year-old was murdered by Kevin Kenneth Hyden, from Glebe Street, Wellington, Telford.
35 year old Hyden forced his way into Davinia's flat before attacking her and stealing her bank cards. Davinia died from head injuries and a stab wound to her neck. He will serve a minimum of 32 years.
Hyden's girlfriend, Emma Louise Lucas, also from Glebe Street, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice after she provided a false alibi for Hyden. She will be sentenced at a future date following pre-sentence reports.
Detective Inspector Mark Bellamy said: "Throughout this investigation, nobody has a had a bad word to say about Davinia Loynton. It is clear she was a kind and caring person who touched the lives of many people. Her life was ended in the most brutal way by a vicious man who had no respect for life; in every way, as a person, Hyden was the opposite of Davinia.
"We would like to thank Davinia's family for their support through what has been an unimaginably traumatic time for them. Our thoughts are with them today and now that justice has been served, I hope they can start to rebuild their lives and remember Davinia for the kind and caring person she was.
"I would also like to pay tribute to the investigation team and Crown Prosecution Service; this has been a challenging case for everyone concerned and their dedication and professionalism has led to today's outcome."
A statement issued by Davinia's family read*: "Our family has lost a wonderful sister, aunt and great aunt. Dink was hard working, highly independent, kind-hearted and generous. She was the type of person who would willingly do something for you and never expect anything in return. Dink was a quiet person who loved her life. She enjoyed her job, being with family and friends and was a great dog lover. She had planned and was looking forward to her retirement. Her death has left a huge hole in the hearts of friends and family; she will be greatly missed.
"We are truly thankful that Kevin Hyden has been found guilty today. We will never forget what he did to Dink, but we cherish all the wonderful memories she left us. She will live on in our hearts forever."
A 35-year-old man, a 21-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, all arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of Davinia's body, were all previously released without charge.
