JAILED: Pawel Relowicz must serve at least 27 years for the rape and murder of Libby Squire

JAILED FOR A MINIMUM OF 27 YEARS: Pawel Relowicz

Pawel Relowicz has been jailed for life for the rape and murder of Hull student Libby Squire.

Relowicz, 26, a married father-of-two from Raglan Street, west Hull, was told he must serve a minimum of 27 years in prison when he was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today.

He was convicted of Libby’s rape and murder on Thursday following a trial lasting nearly five weeks at the same court.

The court had heard how Relowicz, who had previously been convicted of a series of bizarre sex offences, picked 21-year-old Libby up in his car, took her to Oak Road playing fields in west Hull, then raped and killed her.

Following the biggest search in the history of Humberside Police, Libby’s body was discovered in the River Humber by a fishing boat seven weeks after she was reported missing.

In a statement after the conviction, Libby’s parents, Lisa and Russ Squire, said: “Libby will always be with us. We are so proud of our beautiful, caring, amazingly wonderful girl and although she has been physically taken from us, the memories we have and the love we share can never be taken.”

‘OUR BEAUTIFUL GIRL’: Libby Squire

Detective Superintendent Martin Smalley, who led the investigation, called it the most challenging and emotional case he had worked on in his 30-year career.

He said Relowicz, who had been working as a butcher at the time, had been “captured prowling streets, particularly the student areas, where he found Libby, and also visiting Oak Road playing fields several times, where the offences took place, presumably scoping the area for what he would later do”.

He added: “During the trial, Pawel Relowicz gave a significant number of different accounts of what had happened to Libby and what his interactions with her had been.

“Ultimately, a combination of CCTV, witness testimony, forensic evidence (DNA), Pawel Relowicz’s changing testimony and previous offending history, presented an extremely compelling case. The jury have been able to make their own conclusions from that.

“Finally, I again just want to thank everyone who has helped and supported our investigation over what has been a difficult two years.”

Police also thanked the public for the “staggering” amount of support they had given the investigation.