THE former commander of Canada’s largest air force base said yesterday he deeply regretted his “despicable crimes”, moments before he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years for murdering two women.

A COMMANDER who was a rising star in Canada’s military pleaded guilty yesterday to the murders of two women, the sexual assaults of two others and dozens of breaking and entering charges in which he stole panties from the bedrooms of girls as young as 11.