Keeley Bunker killer who raped & murdered barmaid, 20, after saying he would walk her home jailed for at least 30 years
KEELEY Bunker’s killer has today been jailed for 30 years after he raped and murdered the barmaid after she “trusted” him to get her home safely.
Wesley Streete, 20, raped Keeley before strangling her to death and dumping her half-naked body in a stream in Tamworth, Staffs.
Keeley Bunker was raped and murdered by a ‘trusted’ pal after celebrating her birthday[/caption] Wesley Streete, 20, has been jailed for life[/caption]Keeley, 20, had told pals before leaving her birthday night out: “Wes will walk me back, it’ll be fine.”
Petite Keeley, who was just 4ft 11ins and weighed six-and-a-half stone, had trusted her friend to walk her home after they watched rapper Aitch at the O2 Academy in Birmingham last September.
Judge Jeremy Baker sentenced Streete to a minimum of 30 years behind bars.
The judge told Streete today: “Wesley Streete You are 20 years of age.
“You have lived with your family in Tamworth all of your life, attended local schools and socialised in the areas with your friends.
“However, what was not apparent to those living in the community at the time, was that over the course of the last five years you carried out a series of rapes and sexual assaults on four female friends.
“The last of those was Keeley Bunker who you went on to murder.”
The “evil friend” was blasted by Keeley’s devastated mum Debbie Watkins for forcing the family to listen to harrowing details of her brutal murder during a four-week trial.
Debbie told The Sun Online ahead of Streete’s sentencing: “He deserves to be locked up for good.
“I hope he never comes out, he should never be freed.
“I’ve sat through every day of the trial for four weeks and he’s lied again and again. It’s been very traumatic.
“He’s never said sorry for robbing me of my beautiful daughter.
“He’s evil and I can never forgive him. I can’t stop crying.”
Chilling mobile phone clips show the pair dance together in the club with Keeley wearing a red dress as she poses for the camera.
Streete smiles and laughs as he watches the barmaid – hours before he brutally killed her.
After a huge search, aspiring teacher Keeley’s body was found by her horrified uncle lying face-down in a brook covered in branches with her trousers and underwear pulled down.
Ocado supermarket worker Streete had returned to the scene to cover her with vegetation – and then repeatedly lied in a failed bid to cover her tracks.
The promising footballer changing his account four times before trial.
He initially said he’d left Keeley to walk home alone – before claiming he had accidentally strangled her during sex and dumped her body as he was “scared” and “embarrassed”.
He changed his account at least four times before trial at Stafford Crown Court.
Keeley’s uncle Jason Brown discovered her partially-submerged body during a massive search effort involving family, friends and police.
The jury took just over eight hours to convict the former warehouse packer.
Streete was also found guilty of two other counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and a charge of sexual activity with a child, against three other victims, said to have happened in previous years.
The 319 days Streete has already spent in jail was already taken into account – and he will not be considered for release for 29 years and 46 days.
Streete had denied any wrong-doing telling how Keeley was “flirting” and “teasing” him, as they walked home and claiming she had wanted sex.
He claimed to have “accidentally killed” her after wrapping his forearm around her neck.
But the victim had scratch marks on her neck, most likely inflicted as she tried to prise herself from Streete’s grip.
Keeley dances in the club on the night of her murder[/caption] Keeley was killed hours after she was filmed dancing with Streete[/caption] Streete (pictured) told a ‘web of lies to police’, the court heard[/caption]WEB OF LIES
After being arrested, Streete told a web of lies which were undone by police who painstakingly pieced together CCTV and GPS data lifted from Streete’s own mobile phone.
“I kept on lying to everyone,” he said from the witness box while giving evidence, before claiming: “Now I’m telling the truth.”
The ‘audacious and arrogant’ killer even complained to officers after they asked him about her movements that night.
Bodycam footage shows Streete lying to police about Keeley’s whereabouts after she went missing and saying: “I just feel like I’m getting the blame”.
During his custody interview Streete can also be heard complaining his “embarrassment” at being accused and says: “Its scary, but not scary in a way.”
Wearing a black Nike t-shirt, he later tells a custody officer who asked him how he was feeling: “A bit sad… I wouldn’t even say a bit sad, just say sad”.
Detective Inspector Cheryl Hannan of Staffordshire Police said: “There’s Wesley Streete and Wesley Streete alone who is responsible for Keeley’s untimely death.
“Her friend, as Keeley did, trusted him to walk her home that night and there’s only Wesley to blame that she didn’t make it home.
“The lies that he told from the outset meant it was clear that he had something to do with her disappearance.”
She added: “I think there’s some audacity in his arrogance there in playing the martyr – saying ‘why are people blaming me when I left her at that phone-box?’ knowing full well where she was and what he’d done and the efforts he’d gone to to conceal her, to delay people finding her, if ever.”
Keeley’s devastated family described her as ‘perfect in every way’[/caption] Keeley’s body was found by her horrified uncle[/caption] Keeley’s family called her “loving and caring” in a heartfelt tribute[/caption] Keeley had known her killer Streete since they were young [/caption]‘CRUELLY TAKEN’
Christopher Bunker, Keeley’s father, said a once-happy family home was now “filled with sadness and emptiness” since his daughter was “cruelly taken”.
He said her sister and brother were now “a shadow of how they used to be”.
Mr Bunker added: “Keeley loved children and on the day that she was discovered, she was due to attend an interview at the infant school she once attended.
I will never be a proud father who walks her down the aisle – all of this has been taken away from me
Christopher Bunker
“She often talked about how she’d like three or more children herself.
“Sadly she will not fulfil that wish.
“I will never be a proud father who walks her down the aisle – all of this has been taken away from me.”
MOTHER’S ‘HELL’
Debbie Watkins, Keeley’s mother, said she had been “robbed” of her “precious and beautiful” daughter.
She added: “As a mother I could give you a thousand images and say a million words, but nothing could ever describe the beautiful daughter cruelly taken away from her parents, her family and her friends.
“Keeley was the kindest, most caring, innocent young lady you could ever meet and was only just starting out in her life.”
Such is the hell we feel we are incapable of showing any forgiveness and throughout our lives we will never forget our Keeley.
Debbie Watkins
She added: “All of our lives have been massively broken and they will never be the same again.
“Such is the hell we feel we are incapable of showing any forgiveness and throughout our lives we will never forget our Keeley.”
Keeley’s devastated family described her as “perfect in every way”.
We could never have wished for anymore from Keeley, she was perfect in every way.
Family statement
In a statement they said: “Keeley loved everyone unconditionally and nothing was ever too much trouble.
“She had many friends, she didn’t realise just how many she had. We know that she was loved by all.
“We could never have wished for anymore from Keeley, she was perfect in every way. Her life was taken away so cruelly and far too soon.”
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They added: “As Keeley’s family the outcome of this trial will never be enough in terms of justice.
“It will never bring our Keeley back to us. We miss her so much and words can never express the heartache we feel.
“Never, ever will we forget the precious moments we had with our Keeley, together with all of the memories we will always hold dear.”