The man who killed Vernon teen Ashley Wadsworth while she was on an extended vacation to see him in the U.K. has been given a life sentence for her murder.
Jack Aiden Sepple, 23, has been sentenced to a minimum term of 23.5 years in prison, less 249 days already served, a representative of the Chelmsford Crown Court confirmed Monday.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of $288.
Wadsworth, 19, was stabbed and strangled to death in the Chelmsford, Essex, home she was living in with Sepple on Feb. 1, 2022.
With the legal process behind them, Essex Police published their account of the investigation Monday.
“Earlier (the day of the murder), two of the 19-year-old’s friends received texts saying Wadsworth needed help and wanted to leave. The texts asked the pair to come and get her from the Tennyson Road property, followed by messages a while later saying everything was sorted,” police said.
“Concerned for their friend’s safety, the pair went to the Chelmsford address where Wadsworth was staying. Despite hearing movement within the property, they got no response and decided to call 999.”
Officers arrived just minutes later at 4.15 p.m. and forced entry to the property.
After making their way to the bedroom, they found Sepple on his mobile phone next to the teen’s body.
Essex police said that “Sepple calmly told officers he had strangled and stabbed Wadsworth.”
Hidden behind a radiator in the lounge of the one-bedroom property, forensic officers recovered a blood-stained knife.
“Sadly, despite the best efforts of our officers and medics, Ashley, who had moved to the UK from Canada to be with Sepple, was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said.
Sepple was arrested shortly after that and confessed to the murder last month.
A post mortem found Wadsworth had been stabbed more than 90 times on her body and with bruising on her neck consistent with strangulation.
Det. Supt. Scott Egerton, led the case against Sepple, and said the sentence shows that justice has been served.
When Ashley came to the UK to be with him, her family could never have imagined the horror they’ve been faced with.
“At just 19, Ashley had a bright future ahead of her. She had dreams and passions she wanted to pursue and these would have been a reality had it not been for Sepple; he took all that away from her,” Egerton said.
Wadsworth had met 23-year-old Sepple through a mutual friend online, and they spoke regularly over the four years they knew each other.
Her dad, Ken Wadsworth and mom, Christy Gendron were both at court and made statements about the loss they suffer.
“I wasn’t keen on you going to England, being away from everyone, but you are such a strong person and knew what you wanted in life, nothing I could have said would have changed your mind. I remember driving you to that airport that day, the last time I saw you in person,” Ken said.
“I think about why you stayed with Jack with everything that had gone on. It plays on my mind; at the same time, I know you are such a kind and loving person and would have just wanted to help him with everything that was going on.”
Gendron noted that Wadsworth was brave and kind, with a “moral and spiritual compass second to none.”
“Your love of and thirst for adventure brought you to the UK. Your passion for life was immense,” Gendron said.
“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.”
Wadsworth had gone in November 2021 on a six-month tourist visa to see Sepple and England, and was expected to return home soon when she was fatally attacked by the man she’d been dating.
READ MORE: Vernon, B.C. woman killed in U.K. to be brought home with WestJet’s help
Comments