Ashley Martin, 32, was devastated after his first-ever girlfriend Jay Edmunds, 27, ended their relationship on December 28, 2018, when he became "smothering".

He came prepared.

Detectives found that Mr Martin had hired a Ford Transit van and bought a murder kit consisting of a Bear Grylls lock knife, a hunting knife, a 20-litre jerry can, binoculars, waterproof matches, strong fishing line, a camping stove and gas, a torch, batteries and waterproof matches on New Year's Eve.

He made the purchases for £253 from an outdoor shop in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Despite being in a diesel van, he also bought 17 litres of petrol from a Shell garage less than half a mile away.

Van driver Miss Edmunds returned home at around 2:30am on New Year's Day with Mr Hicks, 24, who had previously been in a long relationship with her, and th ...