Pensioner jailed for 22 years for murder of Patricia Henry

A pensioner has been jailed for 22 years for the murder of a mother whose body has never been found.

George Metcalff killed Patricia Henry, 46, at her flat in Girvan, South Ayrshire, in November 2017.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, the 72-year-old was ordered to serve a life sentence of 22 years and four months before he can apply for release.

Speaking afterwards, the victim's mother, Ann Henry, said: "He has got what he deserves."

Outside court she said she was "delighted" at the outcome of the case, but "heartbroken" at the loss of her daughter who was known as Patti.

"It's devastating I don't have my daughter," she said. "He's a horrible, horrible apology for a human being."

She added: "We are very satisfied, but the bottom line is we don't have her back, and given the type of person he is we will never have her back."

Metcalff carried out a catalogue of crimes against women over almost half a century before murdering Ms Henry.

He was convicted of assaulting her "by means to the prosecutor unknown" and causing her injury from which she died.

He was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by hiding and disposing of Ms Henry's body and her personal effects.

A trial earlier this year heard that Metcalff was the last person to see Ms Henry alive, and he financed and arranged her move from Paisley weeks before she disappeared.

Days later he used a hire van to collect a bed frame and mattress from her house in the early hours, during which police believe he moved her body.

Metcalff had previously assaulted and raped Ms Henry at an address in Paisley, Renfrewshire, and carried out attacks and rapes on two other women between 1971 and 2004.

Sentencing Metcalff, judge Lord Armstrong told him that the most serious and devastatingly tragic of his offences was the murder of Ms Henry.

He said victim impact statements from relatives clearly indicated the "devastating and continuing harm" caused by the killer.

Metcalff followed the sentencing proceedings by video link to prison.

"You appear to lack any empathy whatever for your victims," the judge told him.

He also jailed him for 18 years for the offences of rape and assault which will run concurrently with the sentence for the murder.

Defence counsel Iain McSporran QC told the court that Metcalff appeared with no record of previous convictions and added: "He maintains his complete denial of all these offences."

Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC said: "Patti has never been found and on the evidence, the last person to have ever seen her is Metcalff.

"After their last encounter she has never been seen or heard of since."