Jodi's killer sentenced
Teenager Luke Mitchell, who murdered his 14-year-old girlfriend Jodi Jones, was told he will spend at least 20 years behind bars at the High Court in Edinburgh today.
The 16-year-old was detained for life by Lord Nimmo Smith after being found guilty last month of what the judge called the "truly evil" murder.
Jodi was stripped, tied up and savagely stabbed to death in woods near her home in Dalkeith, Midlothian, on June 30, 2003.
The judge told Mitchell he faced "detention without limit of time".
In setting out the minimum punishment period of 20 years which the killer must serve before being considered for parole, Lord Nimmo Smith told him this was "one of the worst cases of murder of a single victim to have come before the court in many years".
Long-haired Mitchell, wearing a blue shirt, stared straight ahead and showed no emotion, as he had done throughout the 42-day trial.
Mitchell's mother Corinne, 45, also stared straight ahead as the judge gave his decision.
Jodi's mother Judy was also present in the court room for the sentencing.
Defence counsel Donald Findlay QC told the court: "So long as that young man maintains to me he did not kill Jodi the fight to clear his name will go on."
Lord Nimmo Smith said he could not dismiss Mitchell's fascination with Satanism as "mere adolescent rebellion".
The judge said he took into account the fact that the teenager had no prior criminal conviction and also his youth.
"It is very rare for a person so young to be convicted of such a serious murder," he told Mitchell.
However he went on to say that it was the seriousness of the offence to which he was principally concerned.
He told Mitchell: "Jodi regarded you with affection and trust, she went out joyfully to meet you and she did you no harm.
"Yet you inflicted a horrible death on her and mutilated her body.
"Looking back over the evidence I still cannot fathom what led you to do what you did.
"Perhaps you do not even know yourself and Mr Finlay has not been able to cast any light on this."
