Man jailed for strangling ex-girlfriend and torching her body

A man who murdered his ex-partner in a jealous rage and then set her body on fire has been sentenced to at least 23 years in prison.

Habib Jackson, 32, of Dunstable Road, Toddington, was sentenced on Wednesday (4) for the murder of Louise Rump, 29, at her home in Kensworth.

Jackson had Rump pole dance for him before he strangled her and torched her body with his own petrol, Bedfordshire Police said.

St Albans crown court heard how Jackson, a security guard, had wanted to rekindle a relationship with her but she did not feel the same.

“Louise Rump was a single mother of two children. As a result of your obsession with her and your controlling, violent nature, those two children will now have to live with the knowledge that, while they were at school, their mother was brutally strangled or smothered to death and her body was set on fire,” said Judge Michael Kay.

“Whatever her motives were for seeing you, you had no respect for her. Indeed, the messages… revealed that you had no respect for any women, treating them solely as opportunities for sex or for obtaining pornographic images.

Rump was last seen alive on the morning of October 16, 2020, when she dropped her daughter off at school.

At around 11.15 am that day, Jackson was seen on CCTV heading towards Rump’s address in Kensworth where he had planned to meet her. Just over an hour later, the mother-of-two was found dead in her flat by firefighters.

The court heard that there were signs of an attack with bruising on her face, her left hand, wrist and pelvis. The pathologist found she had been killed by asphyxia before her body was set on fire.

Jackson admitted using petrol in a small drinks bottle during the attack but told the court he had the small bottle of petrol in his car for a bonfire he was planning for bonfire night.

Louise Rump (Bedfordshire Police)

He was later seen discarding a bloodstained jumper and a cardboard box not far from the scene before driving off.

Shortly after the incident, Jackson went to his place of work in Houghton Regis where he concealed clothing and one of Rump’s mobile phones in a bin.

Jane Hedges, Rump’s aunt, said: “While we have taken some comfort from today’s sentence, nothing will ever make up for our loss and the grief our family is feeling.

“This was such a needless crime and a tragic waste of life. Louise was a real star among us, full of life and energy who would brighten any room she went into.

“Her children will now sadly have to grow up without their mum. Our thoughts are with them today and we will do everything we can to support them so they grow up to make their mum proud.”

Superintendent Rob Hall of the Bedfordshire, Cambridge and Hertfordshire major crime unit, which led the investigation, said: 'This was a horrifically violent and despicable crime committed against a young mother who had her whole life ahead of her and now leaves behind two young children.

'I welcome the result in court today and hope this goes some way in giving Louise's family and friends the closure and justice they so deeply deserve."

Detective chief superintendent Dee Perkins, Bedfordshire Police's lead for male violence against women and girls, said: "This kind of obsessive, controlling and violent behaviour is evil, dangerous and unacceptable. We can all stand up to this and make sure that women and girls across Bedfordshire feel safe.

"I want to thank everyone in the MCU who was involved in this investigation, and everyone in policing must make sure we recognise this kind of behaviour, take it seriously and take action against men like Jackson.

"But the public can also support us with this. By calling out misogynistic behaviour and reporting concerns where women don't feel safe, we can help rid society of these appalling attitudes and behaviour."

Jackson's business partner and fellow security guard Christopher Hayward, also 32, of Houghton Regis, Beds was cleared of murder.