A JUDGE told a wife whose husband was murdered by her former lover ‘not to blame herself’.

Judge Peter Benson made his thoughts clear as he jailed callous killer Kenneth Bill for life for the murder of John Hay – and said Bill must serve at least 22 years.

He told the court Mrs Carol Hay should not feel guilty because she could never have thought a 63-year-old man of previous good character would behave in that way.

He added: “She must not, in any way, blame herself for that.”

Bill, a Holmfirth businessman, murdered builder and former police officer Mr Hay, 61, in cold blood on March 15, before disposing of his body on a bonfire which burned for three days.

During a three-week trial at Bradford Crown Court the jury was told how Bill had rekindled his relationship with Mr Hay’s wife Carol more than 30 years after they had been a couple.

But when she ended the secret affair in February, he became obsessed with the relationship and plotted to kill her husband.

Bill was unanimously found guilty of Mr Hay’s murder on Thursday and showed no emotion as the sentence was passed yesterday.

Judge Benson told the packed courtroom: “It seems to me that you were obsessed with Mrs Hay and ruthlessly, and in a detailed way, carried out this murder.”

The court heard how Bill lured Mr Hay to meet him on March 15, with the promise of work after disguising his voice in a phone call to him.

Judge Benson continued: “You lured him into your car and took him to a unit in Meltham Mills.

“You bolted the door and then you killed him.

“Whether the steps used were as you intended it’s not clear. You repeatedly battered him.”

Initially Bill had considered disposing of his victim’s body in barrel of sulphuric acid, but instead he bound his arms and legs with duct tape and placed the body inside a canvas builders’ bag before transporting it in a horsebox to his secluded home in Upper Hagg Road, Thongsbridge.

The judge continued: “You continued to cold-bloodedly and ruthlessly burn the body.

“You then attempted to make it look like suicide.”

Bill drove Mr Hay’s car to the Humber Bridge and left it abandoned before returning to Meltham by train.

The jury heard Bill said the Lord’s Prayer as the body burned on the bonfire and he stoked the fire several times.

Judge Benson said ‘chilling evidence’ showed CCTV footage of Bill disposing of the body remains at local waste tips.

He continued: “You were so keen to indulge your own emotions that you carried out this wicked murder.

“Not only did you murder him but by disposing of his body in the cold-hearted way you did, you have robbed his family of the chance of giving him a decent burial.”

He said the Hay family had understandably been distraught at John’s disappearance and Mrs Hay phoned Bill twice to ask if he knew anything.

He said: “Carol Hay, who you said that you loved, rang you and you denied any wrong doing.

“You lied through your teeth saying you had never met John Hay.”

The judge said Bill had never once told the truth changing his account for a second time when it dawned on him that forensic evidence could link him to the crime.

He then claimed it had been an accident and Mr Hay had fallen down the stairs.

The judge described Mr Hay as a hard-working family man who was a loving husband, father and grandfather.

He said two aggravating features in the case were the amount of pre-meditation, as Bill had talked indiscreetly to his colleagues about his murderous plan, and the destruction and concealment of the body.

But the judge said his age and his previous good character were mitigating factors.

He sentenced Bill to a minimum of 22 years imprisonment. A total of 181 days in custody will be deducted from this.

After the sentencing, Mrs Hay and her children said they were pleased it was over and that they had at last got justice for Mr Hay.