THE murderer of Pendle schoolgirl Jayden Parkinson - strangled while carrying his unborn child - must have had a ‘heart of stone’, a court heard.

Ben Blakeley, 22, is today beginning a life sentence after being convicted of causing the death of the 17-year-old former Colne Primet High student.

Former binman Blakeley, who dug up her body after the killing and reburied it in his uncle’s grave, was told he will serve at least 20 years.

Members of Jayden's family shouted 'See you in hell' as Blakeley was led to the cells at Oxford Crown Court.

Her body was discovered 15 days after she was last seen at an Oxfordshire railway station in his company - but Blakeley spun a ‘web of lies’ over her disappearance.

Trial judge Patrick Eccles QC said: “It required a heart of stone to keep up that pretence and a heart of stone to deal with her body in the way that you did.”

The judge also referred to the death of Jayden’s father Paul, from Nelson, who died just days before the murder trial, saying he must have been ‘haunted’ by what had happened to her.

A jury convicted Blakeley of Jayden’s murder on a majority decision after 21 hours of deliberations, and a five-week trial. He had admitted manslaughter but denied murder.

Judge Eccles said Blakeley was ‘unreasonably jealous’ of Jayden and had subjected her to ‘physical and emotional abuse’ during the relationship.

“You dominated and controlled her daily life,” the judge said.

Jurors heard that Jayden had broken off her relationship with Blakeley shortly before she was murdered. The pair only met when Jayden discovered she was pregnant.

But Blakeley had found out she had been with another young man and became infuriated.

She was killed on December 3 and her body concealed in a ditch. But six days later Blakeley removed her remains to a cemetery close to All Saints Church in Didcot.

Blakeley had a history of violent and controlling behaviour towards partners, including shoving a pregnant girlfriend down a flight of stairs.

* His brother, Jake Blakeley, 17, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by helping to dig the grave in which Jayden was later buried.

But the jury could not reach a decision on a futher charge of failing to prevent her lawful burial and prosecutors have been given a week to determine whether a retrial is necessary.