This is the moment a ‘cowardly’ murderer who slit an A-Level student’s throat in a ‘sexually motivated killing’ was arrested for killing her
Ellen Higginbottom was targeted by Mark Buckley, 52, as she took a break from A-level study revision at Winstanley College in Wigan on June 16.
The 18-year-old went for a walk in nearby Orrell Water Park and intended to later return to meet up with friends who were sitting exams.
When the arresting officers arrive at his front door Buckley stares with a wide-eyed gaze as they read him his rights, and simply lets out an exasperated sigh when they ask if he has anything to say.
He then asks them if they are going to secure his house, before he is taken away to be questioned.
When the arresting officers arrive at his front door Buckley stares with a wide-eyed gaze as they read him his rights
He simply lets out an exasperated sigh when they ask if he has anything to say
Buckley had earlier approached other women in Orrell Water Park and engaged them in conversation before walking away, Manchester Crown Court heard.
The knife-wielding defendant overpowered the slightly built student, who aspired to be a vet, and cut her throat before stealing her laptop, mobile phone and other personal possessions.
Sentencing Buckley to serve a minimum of 31 years in custody, Judge David Stockdale QC said the facts of the case were ‘frankly chilling’.
Mark Buckley has been jailed for life for the murder of 18-year-old Ellen Higginbottom
The victim’s father gave an emotional statement outside court, saying the family were ‘learning to be better at being people, because that’s what adults do’.
Miss Higginbottom, who did not know her attacker, was not able to physically offer much resistance, said the judge.
The judge told the defendant: ‘Despite that, her wounds indicated that she tried albeit in vain to defend herself.
‘As it was you subjected her to a savage and brutal attack. You inflicted many wounds in cutting her throat and killing her. It was as cowardly and callous as it was brutal.
‘She would have had no idea it was coming. She would have been caught entirely off her guard.’
The judge ‘You were armed with a knife. She simply did not stand a chance. What must have been going through her mind is beyond imagining.’
Buckley later returned to the park and moved her body which he then intended to bury under the cover of darkness, the court heard.
A-level student Ellen, who wanted to be a vet, was targeted as she walked near her college
But he was thwarted as a police helicopter with heat-seeking equipment hovered overhead and he made off.
Buckley was later arrested and admitted killing Miss Higginbottom but could offer no explanation for his actions.
Ellen, pictured left and right, did not know her attacker, the court heard
Prosecutor Peter Wright QC told the court Buckley launched a ‘sustained’ attack which also showed signs of strangulation.
Doctors said a knife used by Buckley must have been ‘substantial’ given the injuries, possibly a kitchen knife.
A pair of trousers was found in the garden of a nearby house which had been discarded by Buckley after he had been disturbed by the police helicopter.
At about 3.20am on Saturday morning, Buckley was seen on CCTV walking barefoot without long trousers towards his mother’s house.
Buckley burnt his clothes that night. He had also discarded his trousers and boots.
Buckley showed no emotion as sentence was passed at Manchester Crown Court
She never got to see the results of her hard work: Victim’s parents moving statement outside court
Victim Ellen with her parents
After the hearing, a statement was issued by Ellen’s dad Mike: ‘There can never be anything even remotely approaching justice for what was done to Ellen, but what can be done has been done and both Kay and I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been involved in bringing about today’s achievement.
‘We were tremendously lucky to have shared eighteen years with her and everyone else who knew her will identify with that feeling.
‘She made the world a better place with pretty much everything she said and everything she did.
‘We all would have liked more though, and we would especially have liked for her to have had more.
‘For her to have seen the results of all her hard work, for her to have seen her friends fly the nest as they went all to uni, for her to have explored the world that she was just growing into.
‘To have all that taken away from her in such a pointless and idiotic fashion fills us with an anger and resentment that does not represent who we want to be. But we wrestle it under control and learn to be better at being people. Because that’s what adults do.
‘So if there’s anyone else out there thinking of doing anything even half this stupid, just take one piece of advice. Grow up.’