AN IPSWICH man who strangled his girlfriend to death before dumping her body in the sea off Gran Canaria and flying home alone has been locked up for 24 years.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sarah ShieldsSarah Shields (Image: Archant)

Christopher Chittock, 38, was convicted of killing Sarah Shields after a three-day trial at a court on the Spanish island last Friday.

He faced a maximum sentence of 25 years after a jury found him guilty of the brutal murder in July 2010.

Sarah’s mum Angela Shields today welcomed the sentence.

She told The Star: “He has got the sentence he deserves.

“He took the life of our beautiful daughter and it is right that he pays for that.”

The engineer broke Sarah’s nose, smashed her head against rocks and throttled her with his bare hands.

He returned to the UK and told her family she had left him for an English expat she met on holiday.

Continuing the charade, the father-of-one, sent text messages from the 23-year-old’s phone to family and friends pretending to be Sarah, telling them she was staying in Spain.

Suffolk police arrested Chittock after Sarah’s older brother Paul Davis reported her missing when he discovered her mobile phone was in the UK after ringing it and getting a UK dialling tone.

Chittock was extradited to Spain in September 2010.

During the trial, jurors heard Chittock lashed out at his girlfriend-of-eight months after finding flirty text messages she had exchanged with her ex-boyfriend Will Newham.

However the court heard the jury found the claims unproven.