A sadistic killer who savagely beat up his estranged partner before drowning her in the bath could be free in less than three years, a judge ruled.
John Puffett, 39, of Valentia Road, Headington, Oxford, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court in July 1995 of murdering Emma Knight.
In October 1994, Miss Knight, 20, suffered 141 injuries when she was beaten with weapons including a baseball bat, a 2ft-long metal pipe and a dumbbell, and then drowned.
After reviewing his case at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday, Mr Justice Butterfield ruled Puffett must serve a minimum tariff of 15 years. At his trial, Puffett denied having anything to do with the killing and showed no remorse, but at the hearing, his lawyers said it was Puffett who raised the alarm and appeared to be distressed as medics tried to revive Miss Knight.
Setting the tariff at 15 years, the judge said there were 'no specific mitigating factors'.
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