"Having spent the evening with her you took her to an isolated place and attacked her and strangled her with the sleeves of her jumper," he said. "It seems that the motive was a sexual one.

Claire Streader's half naked body was found in a park

"Quite what it was that caused you, a man of good character from a respectable family, to behave in this way, only you know," he said at Lewes Crown Court.

Miss Streader had spent her last night drinking in several pubs in the centre of Canterbury.

She was last seen by friends at about 10pm.

Tragedy

She told them she wanted to go home early because she was working in a care home the following day.

The young mother was found strangled and half naked by a woman walking her dog in the park the next day.

Miss Streader's father, Peter, was in court with more than 30 of his daughter's relatives and friends to hear the verdict.

Outside on the steps of the court, Mr Streader said: "We are very pleased with the verdict but all that pales into insignificance to the great tragedy that losing our daughter was.

"We have lost a lovely daughter, her son has lost a mother. I can now only hope we can have some peace in our lives."