Richard Basson, 45, was found guilty of the murder of Carrie Slater after he shot her in the head in their home last year
A man who shot his girlfriend in the forehead before calling police to tell them that she had “ran into a pool cue” has been jailed for life for her murder.
Richard Basson, a 45 year old man from Leicestershire, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his partner, Carrie Slater. After being found guilty of the offence on Tuesday he appeared at Leicester Crown Court the following day where he was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 32 years.
He had earlier admitted to owning a banned firearm and having ammunition without certification. For these two separate offences, the judge handed him jail terms of six years and 30 months respectively, which will run alongside each other.
Ms Slater’s family expressed their relief after the trial stating: “There isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t think of Carrie our beloved daughter, sister and auntie. We can’t put into words how we’re feeling and we’re still grieving for her. We’re pleased justice has been done and as a family, we can start to heal.”
They added their gratitude for the support they’ve received since losing Carrie, but also acknowledged the bitter truth: “We are grateful to the support we’ve received from friends and loved ones since Carrie was taken from us, but we know that nothing we say or do will bring her back.”
Basson, from Long Clawson, near Melton, admitted to causing Ms Slater’s injuries when the police arrived at their home in September last year. However, he claimed that she had run into a pool cue during an argument over cigarettes, reports Leicestershire Live.
When paramedics later treated her at the hospital, they discovered that the injury to the 37 year old’s head was actually a gunshot wound. Ms Slater passed away two days later after her life support was turned off.
