‘Depraved and remorseless’ killer is told he must serve at least 22 years

Frank Moore attacked Stewart Taylor, a talented chef, and Lynsey Methven in her flat in the Grange area of Edinburgh, killing him and leaving her with horrific injuries. A judge said the assaults had been remorseless, depraved and brutal.

Lord Pentland said: “Your motive appears to have been jealousy and hatred towards them. Ms Methven no longer wanted to be associated with you, but you pursued and harassed her, in defiance of her wishes.”

As she left the High Court in Edinburgh after the sentencing yesterday, Ms Methven said: “Everyone keeps asking me how I feel. Nothing I can say would ever be enough. Stewart and I were happy together and now he’s gone. No amount of time that [Moore] spends in jail would ever be enough.”

Mr Taylor’s father, Derek Alexander, 58, said his son had lived for cooking and was popular with his workmates.

“This man has taken it all away from us and from Stewart. He should have got more. I say bring back hanging,” he said.

Moore, 43, had pleaded alibi to charges of murdering Mr Taylor, 33, and attempting to murder Ms Methven, 30, on 7 February at her home, but was convicted by a jury.

The trial heard that Moore, a labourer, of Leith, Edinburgh, and Ms Methven had been in a relationship but she ended it on discovering he had booked a holiday for himself in Thailand.

After the split, Moore bombarded Ms Methven with “vile” and threatening telephone calls. She had met Mr Taylor, from Aberdeen, who worked in a restaurant in Edinburgh’s Old Town.

She said: “He was one in a million, a very, very trustworthy person. We bonded straight away.”

On Sunday 6 February, the couple spent the day watching football on television and they ordered a takeaway pizza and had a bottle of wine. She remembered nothing of the attacks next morning, which were discovered after firefighters were called to the flat. She came round in hospital some days later.

She had suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. Every bone in her face was broken. She has lost the sight of one eye, the hearing in one ear, and needs support to walk.

Moore had used an unknown blunt weapon to beat the couple, and he also punched and kicked them.

The charges originally accused him of starting a fire but the allegation was withdrawn.

The defence counsel, Maggie Scott, QC, said Moore continued to protest his innocence.

Lord Pentland said Moore had not carried out the attacks because of a sudden loss of control. There was evidence of premeditation, he added, and Moore had carried through the plans with “ruthless determination”.

Lord Pentland said it would be up to the parole board to decide, after at least 22 years, whether Moore should be released. He told Moore that he might never be freed.