Who is Ben Blakeley and how long was he sentenced for killing pregnant teen Jayden Parkinson?
BEN Blakely murdered his teenage ex-girlfriend Jayden Parkinson after finding out she was pregnant with his baby.
Here’s everything you need to know about the callous case, which is featured in Channel 5’s The Incident Room.
Who is Ben Blakeley?
Ben Blakeley was convicted of murdering his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend Jayden Parkinson in December 2013.
At the time of the crime, Blakeley was 22 years old and had a history of abusive, controlling and violent behaviour.
Jayden, a vulnerable teenager, had been subjected to physical and emotional abuse during their relationship.
Jayden’s mum, Samantha Shrewsbury, exclusively told The Sun: “Jayden was an impressionable teen when she met Ben.
“He started coercively controlling her when she lived under my roof but the domestic violence law introduced in 2015 wouldn’t have protected her even if it existed because it only applies to couples who live together.
“Coercive control is incredibly subtle. It starts out with care, attention and flattery but it always turns and by that time it’s too late to get out.”
She added: “I knew things were bad because I’d see bruises on her and she’d look exhausted and seem so nervous, jumpy and twitchy but she’d deny anything was wrong and it wasn’t until the inquest into her death that I learned just how inhumanely he’d treated her.”
After their breakup in November 2013, Jayden discovered she was pregnant with Blakeley’s child.
Tragic confrontation
On December 3, 2013, Jayden met with Blakeley near Upton, Oxfordshire.
He strangled her to death in a field after an argument about her pregnancy.
To cover up his crime, Blakeley buried her body in his uncle’s grave at All Saints’ Church cemetery in Didcot.
This premeditated act of concealment involved the assistance of his younger brother Jake Blakeley, who helped him dig the grave.
Trial
During his trial at Oxford Crown Court in 2014, Blakeley’s abusive behaviour toward Jayden was brought to light.
Evidence showed that he threatened to post intimate photos of her online and exerted significant control over her life during their time together.
Coercive control is incredibly subtle. It starts out with care, attention and flattery but it always turns and by that time it’s too late to get out
Samantha Shrewsbury
After killing Jayden, Blakeley attempted to mislead police by creating a false narrative about her disappearance.
He claimed that she ran away and attempted to cover his tracks by sending misleading text messages from her phone.
Despite denying murder and claiming he only intended to cause grievous bodily harm, the jury found him guilty by an 11-1 majority verdict after 12 hours of deliberation.
The court also heard that Blakeley had a pattern of abusive behaviour in his previous relationships.
Sentencing
In July 2014, Ben Blakeley was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years before being eligible for parole.
The judge highlighted several aggravating factors during sentencing, including his history of violence toward Jayden and the calculated manner in which he disposed of her body.
Jayden’s murder sent shockwaves through the community and devastated her family.
Her loved ones described their grief as a “life sentence” they would endure forever.
The Incident Room
Series two, episode two of Channel 5‘s The Incident Room, titled The Girl in the Grave, delves into the murder investigation.
The true crime doc examines how, after Jayden went missing, detectives proceeded to search for answers and uncover the location of her body — including questioning Blakeley.
You can catch The Incident Room: The Girl in the Grave on Channel 5 on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 8pm.
