Ben Hughes launched the sustained knife assault on Laura Robson on only her second night visiting his ground-floor flat, in Appledore Gardens, Gateshead, on July 22 last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that an upstairs’ neighbour heard the victim’s screams and groans as if she was being choked.
He went down and knocked at Hughes’ door, but it remained silent and there was no answer.
(Image: Northumbria Police) But a short time later he heard the victim’s desperate cries for assistance, saying: “Somebody help me.
“I’m going to bleed to death.”
Hughes was then heard replying: “You are going to die anyway.
“You are going to bleed out.
“No-one is coming to help, no-one knows you’re here.”
The neighbour rang the police at 10.15pm and the first officers arrived at 10.41pm and detained Hughes.
David Lamb, prosecuting said Hughes’ response was: “You’s have caught me.”
He had washed blood from his hands, changed into clean clothing, and hidden the kitchen knife used in the stabbing under a mattress, but he was sweating profusely.
(Image: Northumbria Police) The bloodstained body of Miss Robson was found on the living room floor.
She suffered 27 stab or slash wounds, many to her neck, one of which damaged her jugular vein, causing her death.
The court heard from Jill Evans, the grief-stricken mother of 37-year-old Miss Robson, of Gateshead, herself a mother of a nine-year-old daughter.
Tearfully reading her victim impact statement, on behalf of her family, Mrs Evans said “Laura was loved by everyone with her beautiful smile.
“Life without Laura is a battle every day.
“Laura has been taken away from us by this awful person.
“I hope and pray he is put away and never comes out of jail for taking my Laura, who was so kind, caring and gorgeous.
“Our beautiful daughter, always in our thoughts. I promise Laura, justice will be done, I will make you so proud.
“Love you Laura.”
(Image: Northumbria Police) Hughes, 38, admitted Miss Robson’s murder and appeared via video link to court from Durham Prison, where he has been detained.
During a rant to the judge, The Recorder of Newcastle, Judge Paul Sloan, at the start of proceedings, in which Hughes swore and made abusive gestures, he absented himself from the hearing.
Judge Sloan said the hearing should proceed in his absence, a move not opposed by Hughes’ counsel, Peter Makepeace KC.
The court heard Hughes’ 64 past offences include several for violence to women, for some of which he had served past prison sentences.
Mr Makepeace was asked by Judge Sloan if a motive had ever been put forward by the defendant as to why he carried out the attack.
He replied: “All I can say is that it’s possible for a person to labour under significant psychiatric difficulties which don’t have any relevance to the sentencing exercise.”
Passing a life sentence, Judge Sloan said Hughes should serve at least 17-and-a-half years before being eligible for parole.
The judge told Hughes it was, “a sustained and particularly brutal attack involving gratuitous violence”.
He said: “It will have been a terrifying ordeal for Miss Robson and will have resulted in her experiencing extreme physical pain and mental suffering before she succumbed.”
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Judge Sloan said: “The family are constantly asking themselves why, what caused you to act with such cruel brutality, but you have given no explanation.”
The court heard Miss Robson had met Hughes for the first time only the previous days, through a mutual friend, when they had shared a kiss.
She had enjoyed the experience, and was looking forward to visiting Hughes the following night, when she would lose her life in such terrifying circumstances.