EXCLUSIVE

The Ibstock man who murdered Measham schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood five years ago has died in prison.

Stephen Beadman, 34, was sentenced to life after killing Kayleigh, from Measham, who was aged 15. Beadman had been serving time in Wakefield Prison.

A Prison Service spokesperson told Nub News in a statement issued today (Thursday):  "HMP Wakefield prisoner Stephen Beadman died in hospital on April 8.

"The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been informed.†

The prison service refused to comment on how Beadman died adding: "The Prison Service cannot confirm the cause of death, which is rightly a matter for the coroner."

But Kayleigh's father, Martin Whitby, posted on Facebook: "Best news ever... the b*****d that killed my daughter is dead.

"Hope the b*****d rots in hell."

Kayleigh was murdered in November 2015 after chatting online to a man she did not know before meeting him in person.

It followed online grooming by Luke Harlow who had contacted her on Facebook.

Harlow and Kayleigh exchanged 2,643 text messages following an initial contact.

Two weeks after the first contact, Kayleigh agreed to meet Harlow at his house in Ibstock on November 13, 2015.

Harlow then informed his neighbour, Beadman, that he had a young girl at his house.

Beadman raped Kayleigh before killing her.

Her body was found five days later near Ibstock.

Harlow was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Beadman received a life sentence with a minimum term of 35 years.

It resulted in a a film produced by Leicestershire Police, 'Kayleigh's Love Story' (see above), which was shown to schoolchildren in Leicestershire and Rutland.

An inquest later heard that Beadman died from oxygen starvation to the brain.

A heart attack was also given as a reason for Beadman's death and that he was pronounced dead in hospital.