Anthony Hoey stabbed Frances Dwyer at her home in TileCross in the early hours of the 30 March.
He then fled the address in Frances’ car before being pursued by officers after it had been reported stolen a week earlier.
The car eventually came to a stop after it was stung by traffic officers. Hoey was detained after being Tasered. He had claimed to be armed with a gun, which was a lie.
Following his arrest, officers attended Frances’ home where the 48-year-old was found dead.
Frances had been stabbed by Hoey more than a dozen times.
On 6 February, Hoey pleaded guilty to the murder of Frances. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving.
On Wednesday (5 March), the 50-year-old was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years in prison.
The family of Frances have released this tribute: “No amount of time will be justice for what happened to our mom and daughter. It’s almost a year since that monster took her life and it still hurts us every single day.
“We finally have some closure today, as we see that man be sentenced. We can finally grieve in peace without the stress of court dates and what’s going to happen.
“As a family we would like to thank everyone who has supported us through this terrible time.
“A message to our beautiful mother and daughter in heaven. You are always in our hearts and thought about every single day. A piece of us will always be missing, but we know you’re watching over us and keeping us safe.”
