Katie Kenyon murder: Call to review Andrew Burfield's sentence rejected

The sentence of a murderer who claimed he accidentally killed his ex-girlfriend when he threw an axe will not be reviewed, it has been confirmed.

Andrew Burfield, 51, was jailed for a minimum of 32 years in November for the murder of mother-of-two Katie Kenyon.

After sentencing, an application was made to have his sentence reviewed on the grounds it was unduly lenient.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) confirmed that request had now been rejected.

Burfield's trial at Preston Crown Court in November was told he had initially denied any knowledge of Ms Kenyon's disappearance, but subsequently told police that he had taken her to Gisburn Forest in the Forest of Bowland for a picnic and had "accidentally" killed her.

He claimed Ms Kenyon had "bet" him he could not hit a drinks can with an axe that he was using to chop wood and that he struck her with the weapon while attempting the challenge.

Sentencing him to life in prison with a minimum tariff of 32 years, Mr Justice Goose said in reality, Burfield had inflicted "a ferocious and cruel attack" which had been followed by him "calmly" placing Ms Kenyon in a grave in the forest and covering her body.

An AGO representative said the threshold for a sentence review was a "high one" and it had not been "met in this case".

They added that the solicitor general had been "shocked and deeply saddened by this case", but after careful consideration, he had "concluded that this case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal".

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