Killer hid partner’s body under blankets and bedding for ’10 days’ after brutal murder | UK | News
A man who murdered his partner and tried to conceal her death in his home has been jailed. Lisa Paris, 54, was found by emergency services with 70 bruises on her head, neck, body, arms and legs.
He was killed by 62-year-old Mark Fitzgerald, who was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 21 years and 168 days. He was sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court after being found guilty of murdering Miss Paris on March 24. The court heard Fitzgerald pretended to find her unconscious but police have since discovered she could have been dead for up to 10 days. His body was hidden under blankets and sheets.
Fitzgerald and mother-of-four Miss Paris had been together for eight years and both had flats in the same building on Rendle Street in Plymouth. However, Miss Paris mostly lived with Fitzgerald because of his drinking and health problems.
Their relationship had a history of abuse, and Fitzgerald was previously convicted of attacking Ms Paris with a knife in 2020. Devon and Cornwall Police said he was last seen on CCTV handing out litter at around 9pm on March 8 last year.
The next day, a maintenance worker was visiting the apartment to fix a water leak when he saw what appeared to be a body on the floor. Fitzgerald noticed an empty duvet cover concealing the body before becoming aggressive and claiming someone was sleeping there.
Later on March 16, Fitzgerald told neighbors that he had not seen Miss Paris for two days. He claimed he “got in the mood” after getting into an argument.
However, on the night of March 18, he was heard asking for help. “He’s not breathing, he’s dead,” he said before medical teams arrived at the scene.
When they arrived, they found Fitzgerald lying on the couch counting money while a distressed neighbor performed CPR on Miss Paris. He was pronounced dead, and a forensic autopsy confirmed that he could have died any time up to March 8, the date he was last seen.
Fitzgerald was arrested at the scene but denied killing Miss Paris during police interrogation. He was charged with murder on May 29 this year and is currently jailed.
Although pathologists were unable to confirm a specific time or cause of death, Ms. Paris appeared to have 70 bruising injuries. These included blunt force injuries as well as finger grip type wounds around his neck.
Detective Inspector Neil Blanchard, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “We welcome today’s sentence against Fitzgerald, a dangerous individual who has never shown remorse or acknowledged his inexcusable and callous actions.
“I would like to pay tribute to Lisa’s family, who have suffered an unimaginable loss in devastating circumstances but have acted with great patience and dignity throughout the investigation and court proceedings. I hope today’s outcome brings them some peace of mind.”
“I would also like to thank the investigation team for their diligence and hard work in this very sad case.”
