Former soldier Jeremy Green jailed for life for torturing and murdering estate agent

Murder victim Nicole Waterhouse (North Yorkshire Police)

A former army officer who stabbed a woman to death after holding her hostage for eight hours has been jailed for life.

Jeremy Green, 26, admitted to murdering Nicole Waterhouse, 32, and attempting to kill her flatmate, Karen Browne, 23, in her own home on Phoenix Boulevard in York in October.

The court heard he subjected the women to more than eight hours of torture, stabbing them multiple times, slashing their throats and smothering them with pillows. Green showed little remorse as he was jailed for a minimum of 34 years before being considered for release at Leeds Crown Court earlier today.

Miss Waterhouse, who worked with Miss Browne as a estate agent, sustained 65 different injuries to her face, body and arms, some of which were caused as she tried to fight Green off her.

Ms Browne, who had been in a short romantic relationship with the former soldier, survived the attack, but has lost feeling down the left side of her body. She suffered 19 injuries to her face and body, including a stab wound on her spine that left her paralysed and unable to help her friend.

Upon leaving the flat, Green stole their credit cards and jewellery, he then withdrew £750 from their bank accounts and went shopping at two different supermarkets. He had been drinking beer while the women went through an ordeal in separate rooms.

Police found Miss Waterhouse, who had been stripped naked, dead and Miss Browne badly injured. Both of them were covered in blood and Miss Browne had to undergo emergency surgery and a blood transfusion to save her life.

Green, who carried weapons on him for "safety reasons" following the attack on Lee Rigby, had phoned the flat to return a DVD, but tricked his way into the house and attacked both women.

Passing sentence, judge Peter Collier said Green's "final savagery" was beyond belief.

The judge said: "She cried out to Nikki 'get out or get help'. Nikki came into the bedroom where you had attacked Karen. Again you had no hesitation in attacking her also.

"Throughout the day you engaged in the most appalling and prolonged series of attacks on these two young women. They were completely at your mercy.

"It is impossible to imagine the torment to which they were both subjected and the terror they experienced over those long hours.

"Finally shortly before 7 pm you decide that you must kill these young women."

In a statement, Miss Waterhouse's sister, Danielle, told the court: "He has destroyed all our lives and has taken a part of out family we can never replace. The horror of how she was taken will never be forgotten."

Her father John said: "She was totally conned by this man's evilness, which is beyond comprehension."

Green had served in Afghanistan twice but was discharged from the Yorkshire Regiment for stealing from fellow officers.