BREAKING NEWS: Edward Tenniswood found guilty of the rape and murder of India Chipchase

After a 10-day trial, Edward Tenniswood, aged 52, of Stanley Road, Northampton, has been found unanimously guilty by a jury of the rape and murder of the 20-year-old.

The jury deliberated for just one hour and 48 minutes. Tenniswood, who sat in the dock with his head in his hands after the jury’s decision was announced, is due to be sentenced at 2.30pm this afternoon. (Tuesday).

His Honour Judge John Saunders said he would be passing a life sentence with a minimum term of at least 30 years.

Stanley Road where Tenniswood took India Chipchase NNL-160727-163849001

Birmingham Crown Court heard during the trial that Miss Chipchase’s body was found in Tenniswood’s house on January 31 this year.

Christopher Donnellan QC, prosecuting, said Miss Chipchase was “led, steered or escorted” by Tenniswood to a taxi in Bridge Street in the early hours of January 30, which took her not to her home but to an area [near Stanley Road].”

Mr Donnellan said it was the prosecution’s case that at the house in Stanley Road she was “raped and throttled” by the defendant and she died not long after.

He said: “The cause of her death: pressure on the neck.

“Her death was no dreadful accident because obviously had it been, the defendant would have called for an ambulance or started CPR or called for help.

“What he did was to remove her belongings and place them around the house.

“There were lots of other items in the house including women’s clothes and shoes distributed around the house.

“He had put on a pair of clear plastic vinyl gloves, they were later found in a bag of rubbish with India’s blood on the outside of the gloves.

“Why did he kill her? He alone knows what his motive was.

“It’s very likely that his motive was sexual, that when she resisted him he gripped her around the throat and squeezed until she could resist him no more.”

Mr Donnellan said India also had an injury on the top of her ear and had suffered “blunt force trauma” to her head and face.

He said: “She appears to have put up a struggle because blood was found under one of her fingernails.”

Mr Donnellan said it is the prosecution’s case that this blood matches Tenniswood’s DNA.

The court heard that Tenniswood was arrested at the Ibis hotel in Marefair, Northampton, at 6.40pm on Sunday, February 1. Mr Donnellan said he arrived there at 9.30am the day before.

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