A DETECTIVE has praised the ‘dignity and strength’ of a Greenock woman’s family after her partner was jailed for assaulting her in the days leading up to her death and preventing police from finding her body for seven days.
Colette Law, 26, was discovered inside a tent in the ground of St Mary and St Nicholas Church in Spalding in Lincolnshire on July 17 last year.
Paul Neilson yesterday admitted to three assaults on Colette and a further charge of perverting the course of public justice at Lincoln Crown Court.
The 30-year-old had originally been charged with murder and manslaughter, but these were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Prosecutor James Varley told the court that the delay in finding Colette’s body meant that pathologists could not establish her cause of death.
Detective Inspector Adrian Czajkowski, who led Lincolnshire Police's investigation, said: “As we quickly and thoroughly progressed our investigation, we started to uncover a pattern of assault.
“He was a domestic abuse perpetrator, very simply.
"We found that he had assaulted her in the days before her death, as well as perverted the cause of justice, and new charges were filed.
"This discovery was largely down to the tremendous response by members of the community who came forward with their accounts of witnessing altercations, as well as other intelligence - for that, we want to say a very big thank you.
READ MORE: Lies and delay by 'murder' accused means Greenock woman's cause of death is a mystery
"Without their input, we would never have been able to find any level of justice of Colette and her family. And now I must pay tribute to them.
"They have handled what is the worst thing a family can handle, with dignity and strength.
"Nothing we or the court system can ever do can bring Colette back, but we can see that the person who brought misery towards the end of her life, and who prevented us and her family from truly understanding what happened to lead to her death, responsible for his actions.
"I hope that they can now grieve in peace."
Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight sentenced Neilson to a period of four years and eight months in prison.
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