A man has been found guilty of the murder of an 18-year-old woman in Thamesmead.

Scott Clifford, also known as Scott Bridgeham, 33 of Sewell Road, was found guilty on August 8 at Southwark Crown Court, of the murder of 18-year-old Natasha Hill.

He was also found guilty of two counts of actual bodily harm and one of common assault relating to incidents prior to Miss Hill’s murder.

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on August 12.

Detective Sergeant Andy Sheppard, from Specialist Crime, said: “Throughout our investigation and the subsequent trial, Clifford has spun a web of lies claiming that Natasha’s fatal injuries were a result of her own actions. The pain her family has endured has been exacerbated by his refusal to take responsibility for his actions that night.

“Today, a jury has concluded that he is guilty of taking a young woman’s life and a lengthy prison sentence awaits him.

“The court heard that Clifford was violent towards Natasha on several occasions, as well as acting in a controlling and coercive nature, during their time together. I would encourage anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse to seek help from either the police or any one of a number of charities that offer support.”

Officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to a seriously injured woman at an address on Sewell Road on April 15 at 4.22am.

Natasha was found at the scene, with Clifford claiming that she had fallen down the stairs after feeling ill, following a day of drinking.

Clifford had said she had thrown up multiple times before going upstairs to bed; after she allegedly fell, Clifford claimed to have carried her back upstairs and put her to bed. He told police that she had no obvious injuries.

He then stated that when he woke up, he noticed Natasha was bleeding and had black eyes that he said were not there when he put her to bed.

He called police and relayed this information to the call operator, adding that she was unresponsive.

Paramedics arrived shortly after the call and pronounced Natasha dead at 4.30am, less than 10 minutes after Clifford made the call.

A post-mortem examination was held the same day, and gave cause of death as a major head injury.

Detectives who investigated the case found a multitude of evidence at the scene which contradicted Clifford’s claims, and concluded the injuries to Natasha were most likely to have been inflicted on her by Clifford.

Natasha had suffered 53 separate injuries at the hands of Clifford.

For advice on how to report domestic abuse and details of charities that can help, please visit our website via: www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/how-to-report-domestic-abuse/