18 years for Halifax fell runner who buried lover in shallow grave

Adrian Muir, 51, from Calder Terrace, Halifax, West Yorkshire, was cleared of murdering Pamela Jackson, 55, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

But he was found guilty of manslaughter at Newcastle Crown Court following a four week trial. Judge James Goss QC, the Recorder of Newcastle, jailed him for 18 years.

After sentencing, Geoff Mason, acting head of the Complex Casework Unit for CPS North East, said: “We are satisfied that Adrian Muir has been held accountable for his actions earlier this year and that justice has been done.

“Since killing Pamela Jackson in March he has acted utterly without remorse.

“Muir fabricated Facebook entries to convince others she was alive and lied to her sons about their mother’s whereabouts.

“Throughout a series of lengthy interviews with the police he denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, her death.

“He continued to lie in the face of the huge volume of forensics and telecommunications evidence linking him to Soyland Moor where Pamela was found and, at trial, even made wild accusations of a conspiracy against him in his efforts to evade justice.

“Each and every one of his actions has been motivated by a cowardly sense of self-preservation, with little concern for the impact they would have on the family and friends of Pamela Jackson.

“His actions have greatly extended the suffering and grief of those who loved Pamela, simply to serve his own selfish ends.

“The recovery of Pamela’s body was only achieved as a result of the determination and dedication of the Durham Police who refused to give up until she was found and her body returned to her family.

“We hope that Pamela’s family are satisfied with the sentence passed on Muir today and we extend our deepest sympathies to them at what must be a very difficult time. “

After Muir was convicted, senior investigator detective superintendent Ken Donnelly said the killer was “calculating and resourceful” and did not “have the decency to admit his guilt”.

Ms Jackson went missing in March and her body was only discovered on Soyland Moor, near Halifax, in May after efforts to find her were hampered because of bad weather.

Her killer told the jury he knew “every inch” of the moors, having ridden, run and worked there as a grouse beater.

After the trial Mr Donnelly said: “Muir went to incredible lengths to dispose of the body.

“He is a dry stone waller who knew how to lay foundations and dig quickly. He had all the skills to dig the grave and construct a series of layers of soil, clay and other material.”

Muir’s phone was tracked making the 120-mile journey from Chester-le-Street to the West Yorkshire moor on the night Ms Jackson disappeared.

A CCTV camera caught Muir cleaning the back of his Kia in a Chester-le-Street supermarket car park. His fingerprint was found on a bag containing flowers he had placed on her body.

In the days after killing Ms Jackson, Muir was suicidal and recorded a series of messages on his phone, saying he could not continue to live and that there had been a “disaster”.

Ms Jackson, a mother of three adult sons who suffered from bi-polar disorder, had taunted Muir in a series of texts, calling him “ugly” and boasting she had a new lover, the jury heard.