A 44-YEAR-old Irishman has been jailed for life in Birmingham for the murder of a mother of three whose body has never been found.
Michelle Gunshon was 38 when she went missing from Birmingham in December 2004, leaving her family with only a “chilling silence” because her remains were never discovered.
Martin Stafford was found guilty of her murder following a two-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment, and will serve a minimum of 33 years, West Midlands Police said.
During his trial a jury heard that Stafford, known as Matt or Matty and from Dublin, was extradited to Britain last year to face trial for Ms Gunshon’s murder after serving a nine-year sentence for rape and false imprisonment offences committed in Ireland.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said officers would investigate any new information as to where Ms Gunshon’s body lay, in the hope it would bring closure to her family.
Ms Gunshon, from London, went to Birmingham in December 2004 and worked in security at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). She stayed at the Dubliner pub in the Digbeth district of the city.
Stafford was already staying at the Dubliner, where he did odd jobs, when she arrived with two colleagues on December 3rd.
West Midlands Police said her car was recovered in Rea Street on December 7th covered in mud. Semen was discovered on the front passenger seat, which matched Stafford’s DNA, and Ms Gunshon’s blood was also found in the car and on a yellow fluorescent jacket in the boot.
Detective Inspector Simon Astle, who led the case, said: “This has been a long and complex inquiry and we welcome the verdict of the court today. We will not give up in our efforts to trace Michelle’s body.”
Ms Gunshon is known to have worked as security at Clothes Show Live at the NEC on December 3rd and 4th. She returned to the pub later that evening and went to her room, where she spoke to her family on the telephone. She has not been seen or heard from since.
The following day she was due to work again, but did not arrive. Her colleagues checked her room but, despite all her belongings being inside, there was no sign of Ms Gunshon. A further visit to her room later found all her personal property removed.
She was reported missing and police found that she had parked her car in Mill Lane, near the Dubliner after returning from work.