Axe murderer killed ex-partner and her son

A KILLER has been jailed for life after pleading guilty to murdering his former partner and her son with an axe, police said.

Michael Kelly — who will serve a minimum of 30 years — snapped because he could not deal with the crumbling of his relationship with Sally Cox a month earlier.

Wearing a gruesome horror mask, Kelly used an axe to kill 43-year-old Cox and her son, 22-year-old Martin Faulkner, at the house they shared in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Kelly, 46, of Swindon, was arrested by police hours after the bodies were found in Mold Crescent on December 13 lastyear.

Yesterday at Oxford Crown Court he admitted two counts of murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, Thames Valley Police said.

Detectives believe Cox’s daughter Amy, 19 at the time, and another girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, would also have fallen victim to Kelly had they not managed to escape while the attacks were going on.

Amy jumped from a first-floor bedroom window, suffering serious injuries as a result, after her brother stepped between her and Kelly.

In a statement issued through police, relatives of the victims said it was a “sad and meaningless loss”.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Vigurs said: “These brutal murders were carried out by Kelly with an axe whilst he was wearing a gruesome horror mask. Sally Cox and Kelly moved into the house together in February last year.

“They separated in November 2010 and it would appear that Kelly was unable to deal with this separation.”