An "obsessive and violent" man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend by stamping on her head in New Addington after a row about her Facebook password.

Kane Boyce, 34, was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury earlier today (March 2) of murdering Paula Newman.

Boyce, from Beckenham, was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum of 20 years.

There were gasps from the public gallery as the verdict was announced.

The court previously heard how Boyce punched and kicked Miss Newman to death, stamping on her head when she stopped him from reading her online messages on November 12, 2013.

Miss Newman, who had learning difficulties, had been in a relationship with Boyce for seven months.

The 20-year-old died of severe brain damage following the assault in Elmside, off Fieldway.

Judge Paul Worsley said: "The attack was a sustained and brutal assault using fists and feet and your superior force."

Judge Worsley described him as being "controlling, obsessive and violent" towards women.

He added: "Paula was a vulnerable woman.

"Besotted by you, she was only 20 and you were 13 years her senior, almost a foot taller and you weighed some seven stone more than she did.

"The attack was a systematic, brutal assault using fists and feet and your superior force.

"You had a history of violence and controlling behaviour towards her.

"You have a record of cowardly attacks towards other women going back 15 years."

On the night of the murder a witness who lived in Elmside heard Boyce shouting: "Log on, log on" before telling Miss Newman, who was shrieking and crying, "If you don't log on we'll see what happens".

After he beat her in a "brutal" sustained attack, he flung her from his car onto a street in New Addington.

Boyce gave different accounts of what had happened, including claiming Miss Newman jumped out of his moving car.

During the trial, jurors heard in the days before Miss Newman's death, Boyce had told a friend she was a "lying cheating slag" and said: "I've asked for this Facebook account and she won't give it over to me for love nor money."

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Paula Newman was killed after a row about her Facebook password

He is said to have snooped on his girlfriend even as paramedics fought to save her life at a friend's house in Dunsfold Way, New Addington, where he took her following the attack.

They had arrived there at the friend's house at 3.15am that day with Paula virtually unconscious and covered in mud and vomit.

Her face was badly bruised and scratched and Boyce claimed she'd had a seizure and said he was going to put her to bed.

At 6am Boyce woke one of his friends and said: "I don't think she's breathing."

They saw that Paula was lying naked on her side and looked lifeless and unconscious.

An ambulance was called at 7.20am and over the next hour Boyce revealed a version of what had happened the night before.

He told his friends he and Paula had argued and said she had jumped out of the car while it was moving and ran away from him before collapsing with a fit or seizure.

A post-mortem examination found extensive injuries which the pathologist concluded were from an assault rather than a fall.

Boyce was said to be obsessed with accessing her Facebook account and had accused Miss Newman of cheating on him.

Giving evidence last Monday (February 24), Boyce had said the couple regularly logged into each other’s Facebook to give themselves ‘lives’ on game Candy Crush.

Boyce had admitted manslaughter but denied murder.

Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Diane Tudway said: "Boyce's utter obsession with his unfounded belief that his girlfriend was cheating on him led him to brutally attack her.

"He then tried to cover his tracks, disposing of evidence and concocting a series of lies that he rattled off to his friends and paramedics and later police.

"The prosecution refused to accept his plea to manslaughter.

"I am pleased the jury have now backed that decision and agreed his actions were such to cause Paula really serious harm in a blind rage because she refused to let him access her private social media accounts.

"I am grateful for the bravery of Boyce's previous partners who came to court and gave evidence of being assaulted by him.

"I urge anyone who is in a relationship and feels they may be at risk of domestic violence or abuse to find out about their partner's previous history under Clare's law. I encourage all partners in any form of abusive relationship to report it and seek help from the police or relevant supporting agencies."