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The kidnapper of a young woman who was killed when she jumped out of his moving car was jailed for 11 years yesterday after a jury found him guilty of her manslaughter.
Ioannis Revenikiotis posed as a taxi driver to abduct Stephanie Hammill, 20, who was walking home with her fiancé after a night out in November 2003 when she saw his black Mercedes and flagged it down. As the travel agent climbed into the back of his car, the 29-year-old Greek-born electrical engineer sped away before her boyfriend could join her with Miss Hammill’s leg hanging out of the rear door.
The Mercedes left the centre of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and was heading for open countryside when Miss Hammill, terrified that she was about to be sexually assaulted, jumped from the vehicle. Sheffield Crown Court heard that she landed in the middle of the road and received fatal injuries when she was struck by a taxi travelling in the opposite direction. Revenikiotis then fled the country and was arrested in Greece in 2005.
After almost three days of deliberations, the jury unanimously found Revenikiotis guilty of kidnap and convicted him of manslaughter by a 10-2 majority.
The judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, told the University of Huddersfield graduate that he was “a menace towards women” whose desperation for female company had led him to subject Miss Hammill to “a terrifying ordeal”. “You robbed her, and her family and friends, of her life. Your actions have devastated their lives and nothing this court can do today can in any way make up for what you have done.”
During the four-week trial, the jury was not told that the defendant had been accused of a similar abduction nine months before Miss Hammill’s death. On that occasion he had posed as a taxi driver and taken a 23-year-old pregnant woman to a motorway slip road where he tried to force her to perform a sex act on him.
The Sheffield jury was also unaware that in October last year a jury at Leeds Crown Court had already ruled that Revenikiotis abducted and killed Miss Hammill. At the time, Revenioki-otis, who speaks three languages, had been declared mentally unfit to stand trial and the Leeds jury was merely asked to return verdicts on the facts of the case, after which he was ordered to be detained indefinitely in a secure psychiatric unit. Psychiatrists ruled subsequently that his condition had improved and that he was fit to face a criminal trial.
Miss Hammill’s fiancé, James Garland, described her as “a beautiful person” yesterday. “She was the sort of person who would try to help anybody who needed it. Life was going so well for us. We had set up home together and were excited about getting married the following year. What happened that night was absolutely horrendous. The shock of losing Stephanie so suddenly left me feeling like I had been cut in half.”
The victim’s parents, Brian and Jane Hammill, said in a statement that she had been “the perfect daughter”. “We can never forgive him for what he did. We hate him and there are no words that can properly describe how badly we feel towards him. His disgusting and selfish actions left a massive hole in our lives that can never be filled.”
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