Lidia Pascale: West Brom Man Jailed For Life

19 May 2015, 15:27 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A West Bromwich man has been jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 19 years, after he was found guilty of murdering Lidia Pascale, whose body was found in a residential refuse bin last year.

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court heard how the 26-year-old victim was living in West Bromwich and working as an escort in order to supplement her income.

On the evening of 19 November 2014, Matthew Cherrington had contacted a number of escorts, one which happened to be the victim. He arranged for her to visit him at his flat in High Street, West Bromwich.

The victim was driven to the address by a friend who then waited for her in the car.

When Lidia failed to return to the car, her friend made attempts to contact her but to no avail. The police were later notified of her disappearance and an investigation was launched.

Police would later discover the victim's blood in the hallway and bathroom in the defendant's flat - attempts had been made to cover it up with paint. The victim's blood was also found on the garden fence panels.

The victim's body was found by police 16 days later in a refuse bin.

Emily Lenham, Senior Crown Prosecutor from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said:"Throughout the prosecution of this case Matthew Cherrington maintained his denial that he had ever met Lidia Pascale. He attempted to evade detection at every step of the police investigation; eventually blaming an associate for Lidia's disappearance. However, the evidence of his involvement in the offence was overwhelming.

"Through analysis of the defendant's mobile phone, it became apparent that on the day of the murder he had been contacting several escorts, including the deceased.

"He arranged for Lidia to attend his flat and it was there, shortly after her arrival, that he viciously attacked her and killed her. Cherrington then disposed of the body and later tried to cover his crime.

"Today, a very dangerous man has been convicted of a brutal and senseless crime. We hope today's verdict can bring some solace to the family and friends of Lidia Pascale."