Man murdered girlfriend after drinking 45 pints

A BRITISH man who killed his girlfriend by stuffing mud in her mouth and head-butting her when they went to have sex in woods after drinking 45 pints was yesterday sentenced to life in prison.

Lee Portwine and Una Whitney, both 38, had consumed large amounts of alcohol and drugs when they left a wedding reception last July. They walked into woods by the Gatwick Worth Hotel, near Crawley in West Sussex, but a fierce argument broke out.

Portwine, who lived with Whitney in Crawley, and who had drunk 45 pints in 36 hours, pleaded guilty to murder during a hearing at Lewes Crown Court yesterday. Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, said Portwine had pushed earth into the care assistant’s mouth and then head-butted her because he was “embarrassed” someone might hear them arguing.

Postmortem tests showed she had probably choked to death on the mud while unconscious, Mr Lewis added.

Her body was left in the undergrowth until Portwine gave himself up to police the next day. Sentencing Portwine to life in prison, Mrs Justice Rafferty said: “It is clear you had a turbulent and violent relationship.”