Leanne Wall murder: Man jailed for killing ex-partner in Bury
A "jealous" man who hid overnight in his ex-partner's loft before murdering her has been jailed for life.
William Mack, 39, waited for more than 16 hours before killing Leanne Wall, 36, at her home in Bury, Greater Manchester on 12 February.
The 36-year-old, of Conway Avenue, died due to compression to the neck.
Mack, of no fixed address, must serve a minimum of 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder at Manchester Crown Court.
Mack, who regularly smoked cannabis, was paranoid that she had cheated on him at a party and murdered her in "a callous pre-meditated and planned killing", the court heard.
He threatened to kill Miss Wall the day before and also made clear his intentions to a friend in "chilling" text messages.
Relatives and friends of her partner of three years raised concerns over her safety, police said.
Miss Wall suspected Mack had been in her house as the kettle was still warm and some of her clothes were missing.
The mother of one rang a friend to say she had heard noises in the house but thought it was her dog, the court heard.
Mack later surprised Miss Wall when she woke up and killed her.
Judge Patrick Field QC said: "You convinced yourself quite wrongly that she had had sex with another man.
"You were told on numerous occasions that this was not true. You chose to ignore that advice.
"You continued to be driven by jealousy and possessiveness."
Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe said: "Leanne has left behind a one-year-old daughter who will have to grow up without her mum. "