HAYLEY MURDER TRIAL: ON the day Hayley Richards should have celebrated her 24th birthday her boyfriend began the first full day of a life sentence for her murder.

Family and friends of Miss Richards cheered as Hugo Quintas, 24, was found guilty of murder at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday.

The jury took just over two and a half hours to reach the unanimous verdict and Quintas showed little emotion as it was announced.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Owen said he would serve a minimum of 18 years including the 272 days he has already spent in prison.

He said he had seen statements from the family, which described the devastating effect Miss Richards' murder had on them.

Speaking to Quintas he said: "There are a number of aggravating features of this case. Your victim was particularly vulnerable alone in that flat that night. "It is clear from the evidence that she must have suffered dreadfully by the time she died."

He said there was a further aggravating feature in the case. "You fled the country to escape detection and before doing so attempted to dispose of incriminating evidence, the clothing you were wearing at the time and the craft knife you used to kill Hayley."

Mr Justice Owen added he accepted this was not a premeditated killing. He went on to praise Wiltshire Police for their exemplary efforts in managing to bring Quintas back to the UK after he escaped to Portugal and Spain.

Quintas fled the country the day after murdering his pregnant girlfriend and flew to Portugal before going to Madrid, where he was eventually caught by Spanish police on June 21.

As Quintas was sentenced, members of Miss Richards' family broke down in tears and had to be supported by one another. Earlier in the trial Quintas pleaded guilty to assaulting Miss Richards and causing actual bodily harm on June 5. He was never arrested for the offence at the time.

The force's handling of Miss Richards' complaint after the attack is currently being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.