Louise Rump murder: Woman strangled and set on fire after pole dance

A man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-partner after arranging for her to perform a pole dance for him, then strangling her and setting fire to her body.

Louise Rump, 29, had agreed to dance for her ex, Habib Jackson, in her flat in Kensworth, Bedfordshire, on 16 October 2020.

Her body was found by firefighters.

Jackson, 32, of Toddington, denied murder but was convicted by a jury and will be sentenced on Wednesday.

His business partner and fellow security guard, Christopher Hayward, 32, of Fensome Drive, Houghton Regis was found not guilty of murder.

At the trial at St Albans Crown Court, prosecutor David Matthew said Jackson, of Dunstable Road, had made a "deal" with Louise.

"She was going to dance for him in underwear he selected. That deal went badly wrong," he said.

"The fire brigade found her dead. She had been killed by asphyxia."

He said Ms Rump had been seen earlier in the day by neighbours, and had exchanged WhatsApp messages with a cousin until 11:15 GMT on the day of her death.

"Sometime between a quarter past eleven and half past midday she was killed," Mr Matthew said.

"The pathologist found she had been killed by asphyxia before her body was set on fire.

"There was signs of an attack with bruising on her face, her left hand, wrist and pelvis.

"The fire was a quite deliberate attempt to destroy the traces her attacker might have left."

Jackson was later seen to stop by the side of a road and dump a jumper that had Louise's blood on it, and a cardboard box, the prosecutor said.

The court heard firefighters found a plastic water bottle at the end of Ms Rump's bed.

"There is reason to think there had been petrol or some accelerant in it to get the fire going," said Mr Matthew.

The jury also was told Jackson referred to himself as Ms Rump's "sugar daddy" at times.

Their relationship had ended about a year before her death.

Jackson is expected to be sentenced on Wednesday.

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