Throughout the course of the investigation, the detective told the media that Jessop showed no remorse for his actions toward Clair. “A bitter ex rode 17 miles on bicycle to the rural cottage of a mother-of-three before fatally stabbing her because she broke up with him due to an “age gap.” He consistently provided “no comment” in interviews and offered no apology.
John Jessop, 26, rode back to his hometown of Newark, Nottinghamshire, following the assault on Clair Ablewhite, 47.
The incident occurred on February 25, 2022, according to the reports. Jessop was apprehended months later, and on Wednesday, he received a life sentence from a judge at Nottingham Crown Court during his trial.
After a friend expressed concern about Clair’s well-being, her father went to her cottage in the Colston Bassett village one day after the attack to find her dead.
At the time, Jessop was at a pub with friends, according to the investigators.
According to police reports, Clair, a professional dog walker, was found dead in her pajamas. At the time, the only information detectives had was grainy CCTV footage of a man wearing a hoodie provided by her neighbor.
Police told the media that there was only a bloody shoeprint and no evidence of a murder weapon or DNA.
However, officers later discovered Clair’s phone in a nearby stream and were able to access messages that revealed Clair had been on a dating site and had lengthy conversations with Jessop.
During the trials at Nottingham Crown Court, Nottingham Police Insp. Mel Crutchley discussed the significance of the CCTV footage.
According to the detective, “Jessop had been in an intimate relationship with Clair from September 2021 that had ended on February 19, 2022, mainly due to concern over the age difference.” He also said that it was clear from the conversations that he had been at Clair’s house multiple times during the six weeks that she had lived there.
The neighbor of Clair, who reportedly traveled from France solely to examine the CCTV footage, was also thanked by the detective. The same footage was used by investigators to identify the hooded killer for the first time.
During the course of the investigation, the detective revealed to the media that Jessop showed no remorse for his actions toward Clair.
The detective told the media, “He consistently provided ‘no comment’ in interviews and offered no apology.”
According to a court document, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty to murder at a previous hearing.
After repeatedly punching Clair, he allegedly stabbed her with a knife, resulting in her “tragic” death, according to Nottingham Crown Court.
