A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murderer of a Liverpool solicitor whose body h dumped in the boot of his car.
Machine operator Philip Martins had denied smothering and strangling Linda Bakewell, 45, who was a senior member of a city centre legal practice.
Divorcee Martins, 48, claimed Ms Bakewell had accidentally choked to death while performing a sex act but a jury rejected his story.
But Chester Crown Court heard he probably killed her when she refused his sexual demands.
A judge set his custodial "tariff" to a level that means will not be eligible for parole for at least 18 years.
Jurors heard that Martins, of Somerford Walk, Widnes, Cheshire, either strangled or smothered Ms Bakewell, before hiding her body for four days.
During that period a desperate search was conducted by her family, friends and police when she disappeared.
Judge Elgan Edwards told Martins his conduct had been "quite disgraceful".
The judge said his behaviour towards "this unfortunate woman, who was besotted with you" was contemptible.
"That contempt was practised during her life and continued after you had killed her," he said.
"I am satisfied that you intended to kill her in that dark spot in Widnes.
Ms Bakewell, a director of Liverpool-based Armstrong Solicitors, was described in court as a "quiet, modest woman with a love for life".
She met Martins in 2006 through mutual friends on the Northern Soul music scene.
Anne Whyte QC, prosecuting, said she had tragically become "besotted" with the divorced father-of-three who was "only too happy to take advantage of her affection and her wallet".
The jury heard it may never be known how the solicitor, who lived in Rainhill, died on 20th November 2010.
She was last seen with Martins in a Widnes pub at 01:30 am before moving to another bar where he carried on drinking.
Ms Bakewell, who was not drinking because she was driving, drove them both to an industrial estate on the outskirts of the town after asking him to show her where he worked.
Her parents called the police when she failed to meet them at their house.
"She was almost certainly dead by then because it was so out of character for her to miss an appointment," said the prosecution.
Her sister June went to Ms Bakewell's home and spent Saturday night waiting for her return.
"While she was in the house, anxiously hoping and waiting, Linda's naked corpse was lying under the kitchen table at Philip Martins' home," said Ms Whyte.
"Instead of doing what any innocent person would do and call for help, he spent the next four days in callous indifference going about his business."
Ms Bakwell's body was found the the boot of Martins' Rover car in Shevington Avenue, Widnes, a short distance from his home.
Det Insp Jo Miller, of Cheshire Constabulary's major incident team, said: "Martins showed little regard and little respect for Linda, in the way that he treated her shortly before her death and after her death."
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