Sheffield man jailed for Dawn Backhouse murder
A Sheffield man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after killing his former partner.
Mark Hatter, 45, climbed through the first floor window of mother-of-three Dawn Backhouse's home and stabbed her.
Hatter, of Hammerton Road in Hillsborough, will serve a minimum of 25 years, a judge at Sheffield Crown Court ruled.
Ms Backhouse's life had been "cruelly cut short" at the age of 31, her father Barry Taylor said.
Det Insp Phil Etheridge, senior investigating officer on the case, said: "The prosecution team demonstrated that Hatter was having great difficulties dealing with the fact that Dawn was ending their relationship and returning, with her children, to her native Kent.
"The relationship began to crumble, culminating in a serious assault in the early hours of 23 June when Dawn was fatally stabbed by Hatter in her own home at Langsett Grove, Hillsborough."
Mr Taylor said: "Dawn was a loving, kind and beautiful mother, daughter and sister.
"Three children grow up with only memories and photos; the opportunity of making more suddenly and cruelly cut short.
"The defendant has failed to ease our misery by failing to plead guilty and thereby continuing to lie."