A TEENAGER stalked and murdered by her obsessive ex-boyfriend would still be alive if police had taken her seriously, her devastated mother has said.

Sharon Grice claimed Sussex Police could have prevented jilted ex-lover Michael Lane from killing her daughter Shana if they had listened to fears about his escalating behaviour.

Her words came in a statement to a packed Lewes Crown Court yesterday after a jury took less than two and a half hours to find Lane guilty of murder.

There were cheers from the public gallery as the jury delivered the unanimous verdict.

Lane, 27, shut his eyes and then looked at the ceiling before starting to cry.

Sharon Grice’s statement said: “We firmly believe her murder could have been prevented if her fears had been listened to and taken seriously by the police.”

During the three-week trial, the jury heard Lane followed the 19-year-old former Hove Park student, fitted a tracker on her car, slashed her tyres, badgered her with anonymous calls and even stole a key to sneak into her room while she was sleeping.

The Argus: Shana's car, with - pictured inset - the tracking device fitted Shana's car, with - pictured inset - the tracking device fitted Shana's car, with - pictured inset - the tracking device fitted 

Police issued Miss Grice with a fine for wasting their time when she reported him for assault.

She had an affair with Lane and then a shortlived relationship before she ended things to rekindle her romance with long-term boyfriend Ashley Cooke.

The Argus: Ashley CookAshley Cook Ashley Cook was in a relationship with Shana Grice

The trial heard how Lane was angered by this and told a friend she would “pay for what she had done”.

On August 25 last year he slit her throat and torched her room in Chrisdory Road, Portslade, before donning a disguise to steal cash from her account using her bank card.

The Argus: Police officers in Chrisdory Road, PortsladePolice officers in Chrisdory Road, Portslade

On hearing the verdict the force apologised to the Grice family for their actions but charities which support stalking victims and campaign to reduce violence against women called for more training for officers and lessons to be learned.

Deputy Chief Constable Bernie O’Reilly said: “When we looked at the circumstances leading to Shana’s murder, we felt we may not have done the very best we could.”

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating 12 Sussex Police employees on how incidents leading up to Miss Grice’s death were handled.

Miss Grice’s mother told how the family lived in fear in the days after her killing when Lane, of Thornhill Rise, Portslade, was released on bail because he had stolen her keys which gave access to their homes.

She said they “instantly knew” Lane was responsible and his incessant harassment over a year had seen Miss Grice’s life become a “nightmare” which affected her mental and physical health.

Her statement said: “We have had to live with his protestations of innocence for seven soul-destroying months and then endure a three-week trial hearing all the painful details. The brutal death of our daughter has ruined our lives for ever.

“We have gone from being a happy, confident, joyful family to one which will never be able to come to terms with what has happened and what has been taken from us. We can no longer function as normal people.

“No parents should outlive their child but we will never be able to come to terms with having Shana taken from us in totally unnatural circumstances. The rest of our lives will never be the same.”

Mr Cooke said his world was turned upside down when he met Miss Grice and described her as “the most beautiful, bubbly girl he had ever met”.

Her mother said Miss Grice’s friends had been traumatised by her death.

She said her daughter had been making a big impression in her new job at Hove-based wholesaler Palmer Harvey where colleagues said she had a “heart of gold”.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Denslow, who led the murder investigation, said Lane “could not accept that she did not want to be with him”.

He said: “The verdict will not bring her back but I hope will provide some comfort to the family after a long and distressing trial because Lane would not confess to this horrendous crime.”

Lane will face a life sentence this morning with Judge Nicholas Green warning he faces at least 15 years.

‘OUR LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. THERE’S NO PURPOSE WITHOUT HER’

“We brought Shana up to respect authority and to always respect the law. We firmly believe her murder could have been prevented if her fears had been listened to and taken seriously by the police.

“On August 25, 2016, our whole world came crashing down. I received a phone call from Ashley Cooke, Shana’s boyfriend, to tell me she had not turned up for work.

“I tried to phone her but there was no answer. I rushed to her home with Ashley only to be confronted by police and emergency services and then to be told that our only child had been murdered.

“We instantly knew who had done this because Michael Lane had been harassing, stalking and pressurising Shana for over a year.

“Shana’s life had become a nightmare which we believe affected her mental and physical health.

“Shana was a beautiful, bright and bubbly, kind-natured 19-year-old who brought joy to all those who knew her and loved her.

“She was very popular throughout childhood, she made friends easily and was never grumpy. She loved life and was always very enthusiastic.

“She particularly enjoyed spending time with her grandparents with whom she had a very strong relationship.

“Shana left school at 16 and immediately found work and was responsible and mature beyond her years.

“Shana loved to make plans and always accomplished what she set out to do.

“She saved her money and set about passing her driving test first time and buying her first car. S

“he was successful in every job for which she applied.

“She adored going on holiday and was always planning her next trip.

“We were all planning to go to New York on her 21st birthday, now that’s just one of the many plans Lane has destroyed.

“We will never have the chance to walk her arm in arm down the aisle and see her married and have the love of children she so wanted.

“We will never have the grandchildren she would have given us.

“Our only daughter who we love so very much has been taken from us so very young.

“Lane has taken all of this from us and destroyed all our future plans yet he continues to show no remorse whatsoever.

“We have had to live with his protestations of innocence for seven soul-destroying months and then had to endure a three-week trial hearing all the painful details.

“All we have now are our memories of our beautiful daughter. We constantly look at photos and videos to keep her with us every day.

“Her infectious love of life was shown by the large number of friends of all ages who came to the funeral.

“The impact has not just been on us. Shana’s grandparents’ lives have been destroyed at a time when they should have been able to enjoy their retirement and delight in the many days and good times they would have had with their grandaughter and future great-grandchildren.

“They are still in complete shock and struggling to come to terms with their loss.

“At every future family occasion Shana will always be remembered and missed.

“Her uncle and aunt have been overwhelmed by the loss of their niece. S

“She had been a bridesmaid at their wedding. Her uncle was always a great influence on her. Her aunt with whom she worked in her first job will miss her for ever.

“Shana was a granddaughter, cousin and niece to my partner Richard Green’s family who loved her deeply from her birth.

“Ben Hayes has lost a cousin with whom he grew up and would have shared many future life events.

“Every family occasion will be marred with great sadness.

“Richard’s family say: ‘The joy and happiness Shana brought to our family has been cruelly taken from us. We will miss her laugh and her ability to light up a room in only the way she could’.

“The brutal death of our daughter has ruined and affected our lives for ever. We have gone from being a happy, confident, joyful family to one which will never be able to come to terms with what has happened and what has been taken from us. We can no longer function as normal people. We have become mere shells of our former selves.

“We cannot sleep; I cannot go out of the house alone and I am suffering from high anxiety and panic attacks. This has affected our confidence and our trust.

“We feel we will never be able to live our future lives with any real meaning and purpose without our daughter.

“We have had added stress and worry with not being able to return to our jobs because of the emotional and physical turmoil we have had to suffer. We had to endure great anxiety and fear the first week after Shana’s murder due to Lane being released on bail.

“We knew he was nearby and had the means and opportunity to enter our home as well as the home of Shana’s grandparents as he had stolen Shana’s keys.

“We have lost our beautiful, kind and thoughtful daughter, we miss her giggles and laughter, the jokes we shared and having her to hold and share our future lives together as a family.

“No parents should outlive their child but we will never be able to come to terms with having Shana taken from us in totally unnatural circumstances. The rest of our lives will never be the same.”

HORROR IN SMOKE-FILLED ROOM

LOVED ones of Shana Grice cried as the details of her death emerged in court during the three-week trial.

A packed public gallery listened as Aimee and Ian Cooke, the sister and father of Miss Grice’s boyfriend Ashley, told how they found her body on August 25 last year.

Ian Cooke, who lived in nearby Beeches Road, told how he found his daughter “distraught and crying” outside Miss Grice’s home in Chrisdory Road, Portslade, with smoke coming from the house.

He tried to get inside then found the front door was unlocked.

Two workmen tried to help and neighbours started to emerge from nearby homes.

The workmen and Mr Cooke went inside but there was too much smoke and they could not breathe.

They found the bedroom door shut with a piece of cardboard wedged in the side.

Mr Cooke went out for air by which time his sister-in-law Debbie Kennard had arrived.

He and Ms Kennard went back in and “through hazy smoke” could see a body face down on the bed.

Mr Cooke told the court: “I could smell burning. There was a very strong smell which was making it hard to see and breathe.

“I was shouting, calling her name. The door to the bedroom was shut.

“I pushed the door open. I stepped in the doorway, I couldn’t really see. The room was filled with smoke. We were shouting out her name and struggling to breathe and see.

“We went back outside. [When I went back in] the room had begun to clear. I reached around the corner to the light switch which gave a dim glow to the room.

“I could see the end of the bed. The smoke was clearing. I was still calling out and shouting and we were putting our hands out in front of us.

“The curtains had been pulled. I saw the bed and at first I just thought it was just a duvet on the bed and then I realised there was a body on the bed.

“I saw her lying face down, not moving, with her arms to the side.”

He told how he blocked the discovery out of his mind through shock.