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German jailed over 'brutal' murder of student
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-11 22:30

LONDON -- A court on Monday jailed a German office worker for life for the "brutal and savage" murder of a student after he became infatuated with his victim's girlfriend.

David Heiss, 21, stabbed Matthew Pyke 86 times in the attack after Joanna Witton, whom the German met on a war games website, indicated she was not interested in his advances.

German jailed over 'brutal' murder of student
A handout photo from Nottinghamshire police on May 11 shows David Heiss. The German office worker was jailed for life after being found guilty on Monday of brutally murdering a British student after he became infatuated with his girlfriend. [Agencies]

Heiss forced his way into the flat Pyke shared with Witton in Nottingham, central England, and repeatedly stabbed him last September, the crown court in the city heard.

As he was dying, Pyke, 20, used his own blood to write the first three letters of Heiss's name on the side of his computer to alert police to his killer's identity.

The judge said Heiss remained in denial about the murder. "David Heiss, you have been convicted of the brutal and savage murder of Matthew Pyke," he told him.

"The law permits only one punishment for the crime of murder and the sentence I pass on you is one of imprisonment for life," he said, telling him he would serve at least 18 years behind bars.

"The fact that your motive for murder was so bizarre doesn't make your killing of Matthew any the less serious," he added.

Heiss, who lived with his grandmother in Limburg, near Frankfurt, used to spend up to eight hours a day on his computer, the court heard.

He met Pyke and his girlfriend through the www.warscentral.com website and managed to obtain their address. He visited them several times in England but the couple grew increasingly annoyed by his attentions.

The judge said Heiss appeared unable to cope with rejection.

"I have no doubt that at some stage you decided that Matthew had to die, and that your killing of him involved a substantial degree of both planning and premeditation, which is a significant aggravating factor.

He added: "I have taken into account that you are 21 years old, and that you were driven by obsession with Joanna, and by what you thought were her and Matthew's betrayal of you by what they said about to you to their friends.

"The tragedy is that you are unable to cope with rejection.

"For your premeditated and carefully-planned murder, as well as its ferocity, I consider that you should not be released by the parole board until you have served 18 years in prison."