Benjamin Bowler killed 39-year-old Kelly Price at a Gillingham flat they shared in January 2020 and went on to deny the offence.
The 41-year-old, of Richmond Road, was found guilty following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court which concluded on Wednesday 2 September. He will serve a minimum of 17 years.
After killing Kelly Price, Bowler went on to purchase a bottle of whiskey from a nearby shop on the morning of 16 January. He then returned home and consumed it while his victim lay dead in the same property. A post-mortem later revealed she had been strangled.
At around 4.40pm on the same date the offender implied told an acquaintance over the phone that he had killed his girlfriend.
They immediately travelled to the address and, although they were not let inside, they could see that significant damage had been caused to furniture and Kent Police were called.
Officers promptly attended and, within around 10 minutes of the initial call, gained entry to the home and found the deceased in a bedroom.
Bowler made several conflicting statements to the arresting officers. He told them on more than one occasion he was a murderer but went on to claim the entire episode was just a ‘bad dream.’ He has been held on remand since.
Detective Inspector Neil Kimber, Kent Police’s senior investigating officer for the case, said: ‘Despite the clear and obvious evidence against him, Bowler denied killing his partner and subjected her family to the torment of a trial.
‘While he has never given a motive for the murder, it is clear that he robbed Kelly of her life for completely senseless reasons.
‘His offending is only aggravated by the fact the victim was a woman who trusted and loved him and was looking forward to a long-term future. It is completely reprehensible that Bowler abused this trust inside their own home and I am pleased that our investigation has led to a violent man receiving a long prison sentence.’
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