The sister of a Banbury woman murdered by her boyfriend has said she feels her sister can finally rest in peace after the killer was given a life sentence.

Philip Caswell, 32, strangled and battered Stephanie Hancock, 22, at their their home in Gosport, Hampshire, last July.

Previously they lived together at Bretch Hill, in Banbury.

Winchester Crown Court was told on December 18 that he could not accept the end of their eight-year relationship.

Caswell admitted murder and assault causing grievous bodily harm on another person, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

He attacked Stephanie Hancock as she slept, punching her, smashing her head against the wall and strangling her with a cord.

He then went to the kitchen, found a knife and stabbed her four times in the back.

A post mortem examination revealed the cause of death was strangulation.

After Carswell was sentenced, Stephanie Hancock's sister Shona Hancock, 20, who still lives in Banbury, said the family was satisfied with the sentence, although they realised Caswell probably would be free in little more than 10 years.

Ms Hancock said: "We're glad it is all over and Stephanie can now rest in peace."

She said she and her boyfriend Kieron Biswell, 25, were trying to win custody of Stephanie's children, aged five and one.

Both children have been in the care of Hampshire social services since the murder.

Ms Hancock added: "Stephanie loved her children.

"They were her life. Kieron and myself want to look after them now.

"We hope we can persuade social services that we can provide the love and security they need.

"They have suffered most from all of this. They've lost their mother and father."

Stephanie lived on Banbury's Bretch Hill estate after moving to the town from Hampshire with her parents Caroline and Steve Hancock in 1994.

She attended Drayton School, in Banbury.

Caswell moved with them. He and Stephanie returned to Gosport about a year before the murder.

Nick Atkinson, defending Caswell told the court his client had smoked cannabis almost every day since he was 17 and suffered from low self-esteem.

He said the chronic drugs misuse had worsened an anti-social personality disorder.

But Mr Atkinson added that the disorder was not bad enough to mean Caswell suffered from diminished responsibility.

Pronouncing sentence, the judge, Mr Justice Poole, said Caswell believed he had done his former partner a favour by killing her.

The judge said: "You suffered abnormality of mind associated with cannabis abuse, but it wasn't abnormal enough to impair your responsibility for carrying out the killing."