Boyfriend who killed BC teen Ashley Wadsworth sentenced to life in prison

Essex Police

Authorities in the UK sentenced the man convicted of killing 19-year-old Ashley Wadsworth to life in prison on Monday.

Jack Sepple will spend a minimum of 23.5 years in prison for stabbing Wadsworth to death, according to a news release from Essex police.

The teen from Vernon, BC, had moved to the UK to be with her 23-year-old boyfriend. But in February, things took a fatal turn when Sepple attacked her in their Tennyson Road home.

Two of Wadsworth’s friends received texts the night of February 1 saying she needed help and wanted to leave. The texts from Wadsworth asked them to come collect her from the home, although later another message was sent saying everything was “sorted.”

The friends went to the address where Wadsworth was staying anyway, and heard movement from inside but got no response from the teen. The friends called police.

When police arrived that afternoon, they forced their way into the home and found Wadsworth’s boyfriend on his phone in the bedroom beside her body.

Sepple told officers he’d strangled and stabbed his partner.

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Wadsworth was pronounced dead at the scene. When examiners looked at her body, they discovered she’d been stabbed more than 90 times and had bruising on her neck “consistent with strangulation.”

The text saying everything was “sorted” had been sent after Wadsworth died, investigators found.

Sepple pleaded guilty to murdering Wadsworth last month, and the BC teen’s family thanked police for securing justice.

“You were the backbone of our little family,” Wadsworth’s mother, Christy Gendron, wrote in a tribute. “Your passion for Jack knew no bounds, but it seems that your love, trust, and support wasn’t returned. He didn’t want you to come home to those who truly loved you.”