Man sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a university student

A man who murdered a university student by stamping on his head more than 20 times has been jailed for life.
Richard Danter, who has a history of violent and sexual offending, used an "unspeakable degree of violence" to kill Billy Mankelow, 20, after they met at a bar in Leeds on April 25.
The 31-year-old left his victim for dead, returned to the club and told staff he had killed someone, before going back to Mr Mankelow and attempting to hide his lifeless body.
Mr Mankelow, a Leeds University student, was found and taken to hospital, but died surrounded by his family a day later.
Danter, of Queens Road, Leeds, was arrested the same day after police viewed CCTV and he later admitted murder.
He was jailed for a minimum of 15 years at Leeds Crown Court on Friday.

Following the sentencing, Mr Mankelow's family, from Kent, described him as someone who "loved life and had lots of friends" and was "independent and motivated".
“Billy’s family and friends are all distraught at the way Billy died, which was so senseless and unnecessary," they said.
“We as a family will never get over the way he died, we have lost a person of exceptional kindness and good nature.
“Billy’s tragic loss will be felt by everyone who knew him for a long time.”

After Danter was arrested, police found bloodstained clothing in rubbish bins near his home, including a distinctive jacket that he had been wearing on the night of the attack.
Further enquiries also revealed that directly after the incident, Danter returned to the Viaduct bar and spoke to a number of members of staff stating he had just killed someone, a confession he also relayed to a friend a short while later.
Sentencing, the Recorder of Leeds, Peter Collier QC, told Danter:

You subjected your victim to an unspeakable degree of violence.
The surgeon who dealt with him said that he had never seen so much trauma completely focused on the head and facial area.
Such was the savageness and brutality of your focused attack on his head, I am driven to conclude that at that moment your intention was to kill him."

Detective Chief Inspector David Shipperlee from British Transport Police said Mr Mankelow had been "an innocent, caring and popular young man".

His death is such a tragic waste of a young life, a life taken by a violent, evil and dangerous man, who has a history of previous convictions for violence and sexual offences, who is now where he belongs, behind bars," said DCI Shipperlee.
Our thoughts are with Billy’s family, whose lives have been turned upside down by Danter’s actions that night.
No one should have to experience what they are living through right now and I hope that the sentencing today can bring them some comfort in seeking justice for Billy’s tragic death.

– Detective Chief Inspector David Shipperlee