An English man who strangled his girlfriend on the night authorities said she planned to leave him will serve at least three decades in prison.
Kieron Goodwin, 33, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 35 years in connection with the 2024 murder of 29-year-old Olivia Wood, according to an Avon and Somerset Police statement.
Authorities said Goodwin previously pleaded guilty to “controlling and coercive” behavior toward Wood and three other victims.
He was then found guilty of rape, sexual assault, and other crimes involving three different victims. The sentence also included the convictions.
Goodwin had been in a relationship with Wood for less than three months when he strangled her on July 30, 2024, at his apartment in Frome, Somerset, England, according to police. She died at the hospital later that day.
According to the BBC, an autopsy revealed that Wood had a near-fatal cocaine dose in her system and a neck injury consistent with strangulation. Prosecutors claim Goodwin forced Wood to take drugs and perform sex acts on camera throughout their relationship.
During the five-week trial, prosecutors told the jury that Wood’s packed suitcase and bags containing her clothes and toiletries indicated that she intended to leave, according to the statement.
According to BBC reporting, Goodwin’s surviving victims described a pattern of him “love bombing” them before revealing that he was struggling with his mental health. The victims claimed Goodwin then became abusive and controlling, threatening to commit suicide if they ended the relationship, according to the outlet.
According to authorities, all of the surviving victims received indefinite restraining orders at the sentencing hearing.
“He made his abuse so discreet to the outside world that no one would ever have known what went on behind closed doors, so I felt alone,” one of the anonymous victims told the court, according to the statement.
In a victim impact statement, one of Wood’s three sisters claimed that Goodwin “preyed on Olivia’s good nature.”
“He knew she couldn’t drive away from anyone who might harm themselves,” Kyra Wood said in a statement. “She turned around.” Olivia’s kindness has unintentionally saved another woman from death.”
According to the statement, the victim’s mother, Astrid Wood, spoke of her “loving, hardworking, and helpful” late daughter, whose compassion piqued her interest in nature, particularly the protection of small animals.
“She gave me purpose,” she explained. “She was beautiful and confident walking her path, she knew where she wanted to be.”