A JUDGE has told a tearful girl her mother Lyndsey Vaux still loved her "deep down" as he jailed her parent's killer for life.

Becky Reid, 32, of Hayward Road, Atherton, was ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years after being convicted on Thursday by a jury of the murder of her girlfriend, mother-of-one Lyndsey Vaux, 30, following a six-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Reid refused to leave her cell at HMP Styal on Friday to face sentencing.

Miss Vaux's daughter, aged 12, was sitting in the public gallery when she was addressed directly by Judge Richard Mansell QC after he jailed Reid.

Miss Vaux died in Wigan on May 22 last year, half-starved and severely injured following years of beatings by Reid, after falling under her control and losing contact with her daughter five years ago.

Judge Mansell told the youngster: "I'm sure that deep down she still loved you.

"You must remember your mother did not abandon you, she was taken away by the actions of another person.

"Everything I have heard is, she was a really decent, kind, loving human being."

Leigh Journal:

Becky Reid (above)

Miss Vaux had been a happy and healthy woman before meeting Reid, described as a controlling bully, in 2011.

Reid was also convicted of grievous bodily harm to another previous partner, Samantha Newns.

Her mother, Gillian Reid, 57, was cleared of murder, but was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Ms Newns.

She was given a 12-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months.

Judge Mansell told her that although she had been cleared of murder she bore a "significant degree of moral blame" for Miss Vaux's death.

Reid regularly kicked, punched and stamped on her victim, leaving her "looking like the elephant man".

Neighbours, shopkeepers and other witnesses told how Miss Vaux was often seen being dragged by her hair and assaulted as Reid screamed abuse at her in the streets around their home in Platt Bridge.

Miss Vaux was often sent by Reid limping into the streets in the rain to go begging and scrounging to get money for scratchcards, "smoke and cans" to feed her alcohol and cannabis habits. If she did not bring back enough money she would be beaten.

In the final months before her death Miss Vaux appeared downtrodden, malnourished, constantly bruised and going downhill rapidly.

One neighbour told jurors Miss Vaux looked like she had been in a car accident, and others told how she was seen "literally devouring" food she had recovered from bins.

Jurors heard that on one occasion Reid kicked Miss Vaux hard in the face at their home for putting salad on her burger.

On May 22 last year she suffered a final, "massive battering" which proved fatal.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered 90 separate injuries following years of abuse by Reid.

Experts concluded she died from the combined effects of multiple injuries over several months.

Reid denied using any violence against Miss Vaux.

As police investigated the death they became aware of the earlier partner of Becky Reid, who had also been beaten up by both mother and daughter.

Miss Newns said she was assaulted around 50 times by Reid before leaving.

Prosecutor Paul Reid QC told the court: "Lyndsey Vaux was not so lucky."

Senior Investigating Officer Bob Tonge of Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Major Incident Support Unit said: "Lyndsey Vaux was subjected to years of horrific domestic abuse at the hands of her girlfriend, and no decision made here today can bring her back.

"Some neighbours knew about this abuse and did nothing. Had they given us the information that they gave us after Lyndsey's murder then we could have saved her life, and this should act as a stark reminder that we all have a responsibility to stand up to this kind of crime.

"My thoughts are with Lyndsey's family at this difficult time, and I hope this sentence goes some way to finding them justice."