A man convicted of bludgeoning a Christchurch woman to death with a hammer as she lay asleep in her bed has been jailed for at least 18 years.
Shaun Skilling killed Gaynor White, 62, in her Huntsbury Hill home a year ago.
Skilling, 22 at the time, pleaded guilty in November to charges of murder and burglary.
He was caught by police two days later, after driving around the city in Mrs White's car, selling her belongings.
Her body was found by her son, Craig White, who told the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday afternoon that he could not get the image of his mother that day out of his head.
