A BOYFRIEND who knifed to death his long-term partner in a drink-fuelled rage has been told he will spend a minimum of 12 years in prison.

Gavin Sartain, 31, pleaded guilty to murdering Michelle Suttle, 23, in a frenzied attack at their home in Baker Street, Oakes, in June.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Sartain stabbed Miss Suttle – a former Rastrick High School pupil – 39 times in an attack in the hallway of the house.

He later told police: “I just went nuts. I deserve to die.”

After Sartain was jailed yesterday, Michelle’s dad Raymond, holding back tears, said: “You read about these things and your heart goes out to people who have suffered.

“But you don’t realise how much it actually hurts until you go through it.

“You wouldn’t wish this on your worst enemy.”

Sartain, who pleaded guilty to murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve the minimum term of 12 years before being considered for release by the Parole Board.

Judge Peter Benson said he accepted as genuine Sartain’s expression of deep regret for the pain and misery he had caused Michelle’s family by taking from them a much-loved and admired young woman.

But said it was obvious from the number and distribution of the stab wounds to Miss Suttle’s body that he had subjected his partner to a “vicious attack” in which he must have intended to kill her.

The judge said: “The sympathy and thoughts of this court go out to Michelle’s family in this time of great grief.

“This wholly pointless waste of a promising young life must bear very deeply upon them and no sentence I can pass upon you will be adequate to reflect their loss.”

After stabbing Miss Suttle – who was known to friends and family as Shelley – it was Sartain who called the emergency services.

The court heard that the couple’s relationship had been marred by violence and arguments.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp said Miss Suttle had been admitted to hospital on four previous occasions – but she did not want the police to do anything about those matters.

A neighbour described the pair as a nice couple when sober, but said they would wind each other up when they were in drink.

Mr Sharp described how the couple had been drinking heavily during night leading up to the killing at the neighbour’s house. The neighbour estimated that they had drunk two bottles of vodka between them.

Mr Sharp said they returned to their home around midnight and the violence between them turned lethal.

Miss Suttle worked as a care assistant at Elm Royd care home in Brighouse.

She left her parents, sister Kirsty, brothers Ashley, Sean, Craig, Graeme and half-brother Shane.

Mr Suttle told how Michelle had doted on her niece Ebony Kamau.

He said that two months before his daughter’s death he had lost his partner Alison Mellor to pneumonia. Four years ago his baby twin girls, Shannon and Evlyn died. One baby was stillborn and the other died within minutes of the birth. He is now a single parent bringing up his six-year-old son, Shane.

Det Supt Sukhbir Singh, of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “On June 9 Gavin Sartain murdered Michelle Suttle in a violent attack, stabbing her repeatedly.

“He did at least do the right thing by pleading guilty to Michelle’s murder, therefore sparing the Suttle family the distress and anxiety of a full trial.

“He will now have ample time to reflect on what he has done.”