'One of the most shocking cases I've worked on': Murder cop on West Park killing
Det Insp Caroline Corfield said the suspect was not considered dangerous before the attack.
The officer who led the hunt for the killer of Viktorija Sokolova has confessed: "It is one of the most shocking murder investigations I have ever worked on."
Det Insp Caroline Corfield also spoke of the danger posed by the 16-year-old after he mercilessly bludgeoned the 14-year-old to death and said: "She went to West Park that night to meet somebody she thought was a friend.
"He has murdered her in an inexplicably violent attack, then degraded her by dragging her across the park to a bench where where she was left half naked to be discovered by a passer by.
"Before Viktorija's murder I would not have considered him a dangerous individual.
WATCH: Det Insp Corfield on 'shocking' case
"There was no clue he could commit this violent act.
"Once we understood what he was capable of, I was not the only person on the inquiry who lost sleep over the possibility of him being acquitted and walking free from court onto the streets."
'Never suspects'
Det Insp Corfield disclosed that the mother and stepfather of the 14-year-old victim had never been suspects in the case.
She paid tribute to the fortitude shown by them during their ordeal and declared: "What is clear is that the parents are devastated by the murder of their only child.
"They had to hear details of the horrific violence suffered by Viktorija which they could not escape because that information had to be given to the court.
"Then, as if that was not bad enough, they had the finger of blame pointed at them. It is difficult to imagine how someone would cope with that but they have managed it with strength and dignity."
Police had a major breakthrough when they discovered messages in Viktorija's Facebook inbox involving somebody with a distinctive profile name, an alias which was quickly linked to him. He was arrested about 24 hours after the body was found.
Lies
The defendant gave a prepared statement in which he claimed not to have seen or spoken to the victim since last year.
This was exposed as a lie when forensic checks discovered his DNA in her body. He had unexpectedly got in touch with the schoolgirl eight days before her death and several months after they had last been in contact.
Over the following days he made a concerted effort to persuade her to meet him late at night in West Park so they could smoke cannabis, talk and 'chill out.'
His Google inquiries about sex suggested a different motive for the get together.
She finally agreed to a rendezvous around midnight on April 11.
Full coverage of the trial:
He sent her a message at 10.35pm to say he was on his way and she set off from a friend's house shortly afterwards. Both were caught on CCTV heading the the park.
The teenager was seen leaving the park around two hours later wearing a different pair of trousers before being filmed by CCTV cameras leaving his home at around 1.30am apparently with a rucksack that he did not have when he returned.
Extensive police inquiries failed to find items of clothing worn by him when he entered the park and tell-tale trainers that matched footprints left in blood at the scene of the killing.
The murder weapon - thought to have been a hammer - was not recovered either.
