A man who murdered his friend after an argument has been sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison.

Cambridgeshire police say that Karl Hutchings (48) bludgeoned 54-year-old Julie Buckley to death in the living room of his home in the village of Christchurch, near March.

Police say It is believed the killing, which the senior investigating officer described as “cold-blooded”, happened on January 29 last year and followed an argument about drugs.

A police spokesperson said that Hutchings tried to cover up his crime – burning blood-spattered items in his back garden, including part of the living room carpet and one of the sofa cushions.

She said: “The following day he drove to the One Stop convenience store in Manea in Julie’s car and he was seen on CCTV using her bank card to buy two lunch meal deals, some alcohol and cleaning products.

"He attempted to withdraw money from an ATM inside the shop but failed and later withdrew cash from a machine in March.

“In September last year, Hutchings admitted Julie’s murder and finally revealed where he had disposed of her dismembered body - a field off Blue Lane in Wimblington.”

Hutchings, of The Hill, Christchurch, Wisbech, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years and one month in prison at a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court.

Judge Mark Bishop told Hutchings: “Having taken her (Julie’s) life, you deprived her of any dignity in death.”

He added: “I accept you did not plan to kill Miss Buckley and I accept you had your own mental health vulnerabilities.”

Speaking about the investigation, Judge Bishop said the preparation and investigation into the case was ‘extensive’ and commended ‘officers for the work that’s been done.’

Afterwards, Detective Chief Inspector Rich Stott, who led the investigation, said: “The result is the culmination of months of hard work from the investigating team and the many experts who have assisted in the case.

“A murder investigation without a body is extremely challenging, but the team worked tirelessly to gather significant and compelling evidence, putting pressure on Hutchings to finally reveal the truth.

“The cold-blooded brutality of Julie’s death and subsequent disposal of her body is something that will stay with me and all my team for a very long time.

"These kinds of investigations never get any easier, but we remain steadfast in our determination to bring those responsible to justice.

“Julie was a well-known member of her community - she was a mother, a friend and a neighbour and will be greatly missed. Nobody should meet their end in this way.

“Hutchings’ deceit and the efforts he made to conceal his crimes were truly abhorrent, but I’m glad he finally saw sense and confessed, saving Julie’s family the trauma of a trial.

“Our thoughts are with Julie’s loved ones and friends at this difficult time. While today’s result cannot bring her back, we hope it provides some reassurance and closure for them, and they feel justice has been done.”

Worries first raised for Julie’s welfare:

Police say that concerns were first raised about Julie after she failed to turn up for an appointment at March Police Station.

Officers discovered the last confirmed sighting of her was on January 28 last year when she was captured on CCTV at a supermarket in March.

Julie had been staying with Hutchings and when officers searched his house they found a significant amount of blood in the living room.

Following this find, detectives from the Beds, Cambs and Herts Major Crime Unit announced in February last year they were treating Julie’s disappearance as a murder investigation.

Officers discovered Julie had put in a prescription request at her doctor’s surgery on January 28 but it was never collected.

Julie’s phone showed she had sent a message to a friend on January 29, claiming Hutchings was getting angry when she questioned him about the whereabouts of some drugs – it’s believed this was the last message or communication she made from her phone.

A police spokesperson said: “Officers strongly believed Julie, who had been staying with Hutchings, had been murdered, but they were yet to find a body.

“They continued to gather further evidence, including eye-witness accounts of Hutchings disposing of and selling items belonging to Julie, including clothing and jewellery, and her car.

“It was not until Hutchings’ charge and guilty plea that he revealed the location of her body.

"A post-mortem examination was inconclusive, but it is believed Julie likely died from blunt force trauma.”