A HALE man who murdered a Cranage cattery owner has been sentenced to 34 years in prison.

The 34 year minimum life sentence means David Ryan will be 82 before he can be considered for parole.

Explaining the length of the sentence at Chester Crown today, July 26, Justice Richard Henriques said he believed Ryan had acted with premeditation and that there were other aggravating factors – such as the brutality of his attack on his victim, Diana Lee, the fact he tried to frame her lodger for the crime and later blame her ex-partner, Neville Barratt, whom had previously spent time in prison for assaulting her.

A jury of six men and six women had unanimously found Ryan, 48, of Byrom Street, guilty of murdering 54-year-old cattery owner, Ms Lee, yesterday.

Justice Henriques said:  “I have concluded that you killed Diana Lee to prevent your spectacular fraud upon her coming to light and you knew there was a readymade suspect of whom Diana was terrified.”

Justice Henriques added that he believed Ryan may have spared her life if he could ‘have strung her along with some cock and bull story’ for longer.

The judge said he believed Ryan had conned Ms Lee, who had previously been very careful with her money, into giving him almost £70,000 because she believed she was investing into a business venture of his, but by August 2012 Ms Lee wanted to know where all her money had gone.

“You literally bled her dry,” said Justice Henriques.

The prosecution proved that Ryan had stayed with Ms Lee at her Cranage home on the night of August 8 2012, and then attacked her with a blunt object between 6am and 9am the next morning, possibly as she slept.

He then dragged her through the house and into the garage wrapped in bed sheets, mutilated her with a chainsaw in an intimate area in an attempt to hide DNA evidence and then lit four fires in her home.

Justice Henriques told the court that due to Ryan not appreciating that fires require oxygen, they failed to take hold and emergency services were able to discover Diana’s body in her garage before the evidence of Ryan’s crimes could be destroyed.

He said that Ryan’s use of the telephone kiosk and secret nature of their relationship meant that Ryan thought all evidence linking him to Ms Lee would have been destroyed in the fire.

Justice Henriques explained to Ryan that he may never be released.
There were heckles of ‘scum bag’ from some in the public gallery as he was led from court.

 

BEFORE Ryan was sentenced a witness impact statement from Ms Lee’s brother, Collin Sherwin, was read to the court.

He went to visit his sister with their elderly mother on the morning of August 9 and discovered that her house, which was ‘her pride and joy’, was in flames.

He said in his statement: “Diana was my only sibling, neither of us had any children, so our immediate family unit was very close knit.”

He described his family as quiet and unassuming and that work, family and friends were Diana’s life.

“We have never asked for anything and we firmly believe in the difference between right and wrong.”

He said his sister loved life and everything it had to offer and that she was always open to new experiences.

“She was kind and sensitive and loved to spend time with friends, socialising, dancing and taking part on yoga and Pilates.”

Mr Sherwin said that he and his mother greatly missed Diana’s presence in their lives and that he is no longer able to watch the news or listen to the radio, as he is terrified of hearing stories of brutal murders, such as which his sister was victim.

He added: “For me, only evil is capable of doing this to her.”