31-year-old Lewis Haines jailed for life for murder of eighteen-year-old Lily Sullivan

A man who murdered an eighteen-year-old woman has today been sentenced to life in prison and will serve a minimum of 23 years and four months.

Lily Sullivan was murdered in Pembroke in the early hours of Friday morning, 17th December 2021 after a night out with friends.

Police were called just after 4.10am and made aware that an assault had taken place in the Mill Pond area. This led to the discovery of Lily in the water shortly after 4.30am. Lily was recovered from the water and despite extensive efforts by paramedics and police Lily died of her injuries.

Forensic examinations identified that Lily had been the victim of a violent attack and the cause of her death was consistent with strangulation.

Lewis Haines, 31, was quickly arrested and subsequently charged with her murder on the 20th December 2021. 

Haines pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder in May of this year and was due to stand trial for murder on the 20th June. However, he changed his plea to guilty of murder on the 13th June due to the overwhelming strength of the evidence presented against him.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Richard Yelland said:

“On the evening of the 16th of December 2021, eighteen-year-old Lily Sullivan enjoyed an evening out with friends and never returned home.

“In the early hours of the following morning the violent and predatory actions of Lewis Haines took the life of Lily.  Haines passed numerous opportunities to seek help for Lily when fleeing the scene of his crime. His selfish and cruel actions have changed the lives of all those who knew and loved Lily and the close-knit community of Pembroke. 

“The life sentence handed down to Lewis Haines today, ensures that he will not be able to harm others in the community. Dyfed-Powys Police and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to bring to justice those who perpetrate violence against women and girls in all its forms.

“This sentence is no consolation for Lily’s family and friends, but I hope this will be a step forward in the slow process of rebuilding their lives. Today, my thoughts are entirely with them.”