A killer who jumped out of a second-storey hotel window after murdering his girlfriend in a violent rampage has been sentenced to 21 years behind bars.
Michael Marler, 37, was handed the life sentence after he was found guilty of stabbing 24-year-old Danielle Richardson 15 times following a 'two week drug bender'.
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Sentencing Marler, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said: "At no stage did you stop to think of saving Danielle. Having killed her you then set about trying to escape."
According to the Manchester Evening News, it's believed that Ms Richardson had repeatedly suffered domestic abuse during the course of her three year, on-off relationship with Marler.
Judge Mansell QC explained that Ms Richardson had been to the police station in 2016 to report violence against her, but she later said she had lied and retracted it.
The mum was subjected to the fatal attack after they spent Valentine's Day together watching The Bodyguard at a drive-in cinema.
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And after killing his partner, Marler leapt from a second-storey window, attacked a series of strangers and smashed car windows with his fists, as he ran down the street bare-chested and covered in blood.
The terrifying jump led one witness to describe him as the 'Incredible Hulk'.
At Manchester Crown Court Marler pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying that his use of crack cocaine had triggered psychotic symptoms.
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He also claimed that he had no recollection of what happened in the Shush apartment block in Manchester city centre.
But jurors took just over an hour to unanimously find him guilty of murder following a trial.
The jury were told that the pair had been to a drive-in cinema event and were staying in an apartment because Danielle's home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, was being decorated.
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Before her death, she had received £12,000 ($15,589) in criminal injury compensation and used some of that money to have work done to her home and pay for the apartment.
But another part of the pay out was also used to finance the 'drug bender' and two weeks prior to Ms Richardson's death, the couple spent about £1,000 ($1,299) a week on crack cocaine, the court was told.
Ms Richardson's body was found after Marler jumped 25ft from the window onto a car that belonged to Lynn Sheridan as she dropped the husband and son off for work.
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After he landed on the car he got into the passenger seat and punching Mrs Sheridan.
The defendant then went down the street attacking vehicles, punching and biting a pedestrian before being stopped by police and taken to hospital for treatment.
In an interview with police, Marler told officers: "I haven't intentionally gone out to do this. I loved the girl. I loved her to bits. I can't recollect any of it."
When he was questioned about his behaviour, Marler said: "That's just not me. I wouldn't even kill a spider. I wouldn't do anything like this intentionally."
The MEN reported that Marler had previous convictions for violence against Ms Richardson and Marler had also assaulted the father of an ex-partner with a bar 16 years ago.
Featured Image Credit: GMPTopics: UK News, News, Manchester, Drugs, UK, Girlfriend, Murder