THE family of a woman brutally murdered by her partner welcomed his life sentence yesterday.

Gary Spalding, 34, was yesterday jailed for life for killing former Bicester woman Denise Skilbeck.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he bludgeoned her head 16 times with a hammer, causing skull fractures, before slashing her face and severing her voice box with a knife.

Judge John Milmo told Spalding he must serve at least 20 years before he is considered for parole.

After the hearing, a statement from Miss Skilbeck’s family was read out from the court steps.

It said: “Our beautiful Denise, who meant so much to so many people, had so much more to give.

“It is important that justice has been served and the community protected in the future.”

Jailing Spalding, Judge Milmo said: “It’s clear this was a frenzied and prolonged attack from which she had no means to defend herself from.”

The former Brookside Primary School and Cooper School pupil left the town in 2004 to pursue a career in support work, helping disadvantaged people get jobs.

After killing Miss Skilbeck, Spalding stole her mobile phone and money and called her work to say she would not be in.

He also left an answer phone message for his father, saying: “I told my dad the other day I could kill somebody and I have done.”

After hearing this, his dad Ian Spalding dialled 999.

Gary Spalding later spoke to his father and told him he had killed Miss Skilbeck because she had an affair with another man and that they had argued.

Officers visited the couple’s home in Dobsons Quay, The Wharf, Newark.

A sergeant looked inside a bedroom and saw a motionless body on the floor beside the bed, covered with a duvet and near blood on a wall.

Spalding was arrested on suspicion of the murder of 31-year-old Miss Skilbeck and entered his guilty plea to that charge last month.

Miss Skilbeck was found to have died from blunt trauma to her head.

Spalding said he was a binge drinker, favouring cider, and that in the days before the killing he had been drinking about a litre a day.

Two psychiatric reports, prepared for sentencing, had not concluded that Spalding suffered from any mental illness.

Shaun Smith, defending, said his client was remorseful and made admissions to his parents and police.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has concluded an investigation into police contact with Miss Skilbeck relating to domestic incidents before her death. The findings are expected in the coming weeks.”