A MAN sentenced to life for the murder of a mother of four has been told he must serve at least 19 years in prison.
John David Scott, 36, previously pleaded guilty to the 2020 murder of Natasha Melendez in Lisburn, as well as to three previous assaults on the 32-year-old.
"You took a life, a life that meant the world to me, to her children, to her family, and to her friends," said Ms Melendez’s mother, Maria De Los Angeles Mejias.
Ms Melendez, who had been in a relationship with Scott, was subjected to a serious assault in her home in Lisburn on March 22, 2020.
The victim, who was originally from Venezuela, died in hospital 10 days later.
The results of a post mortem examination confirmed that she died from trauma to her head and neck.
Scott admitted the murder of Ms Melendez at Belfast Crown Court in June 2024, as well as to previous assaults, and at the time was handed a life sentence.
He was handed his minimum term at the same court on Friday.
"This was a vicious attack by the defendant. It took the life of a young woman, leaving four young children without their mother," said Detective Chief Inspector Kerrie Foreman.
"So many people, not least Natasha's loving mother, have suffered unimaginably as a result of Scott's brutality.
"Theirs is a torment deepened by the realisation that this was not a one-off assault. Last June, Scott admitted to three previous assaults on Ms Melendez."
'A long and gruelling wait for justice'
A statement from Ms Melendez's mother said the murder of her daughter had let her and her family with an 'unbearable void'.
"Never in my worst nightmares did I think my daughter, Natasha, would become a victim of such a heinous crime, enduring not only the ultimate act of violence but also the continued abuse she faced," it read.
"Natasha was a vibrant woman, full of life, cheerful, and talkative. You could discuss anything with her, from deep topics to trivial matters. The word that best defines her is 'fearless'.
"She was also a mother of four children, the oldest being 10 years old and the youngest just five months old when she was taken from us. Her children will never know who she truly was.
"The suffering he has caused my family, including my son Andres, who was deeply affected by his sister's loss, is impossible to put into words. My parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and Natasha's children all feel the unbearable void she left behind.
'The past five years have been a long and gruelling wait for justice — five years filled with fear, anguish, and uncertainty as to whether the system would fail us, whether he would be released, whether his clear attempts to evade accountability and delay the justice process would succeed.
"You took a life, a life that meant the world to me, to her children, to her family, and to her friends."
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