A COUPLE who tricked a vulnerable young man into visiting their flat before slashing his throat have been sentenced to life behind bars.

Richard Moors, 26, and Isabella Gossling, 20, lured Phillip Nicholson to their home in Sea Road, Boscombe on May 26 this year.

The 22-year-old, who lived in supported accommodation in Parkstone, was told he was to meet Moors' female cousin.

However, once inside the flat, he was "tormented" and killed, with the 17-minute attack recorded on Gossling's phone.

During the recording, she could be heard telling Mr Nicholson he wouldn't be allowed to return home as he wept and begged them to be his friends.

Jurors heard Gossling had mimicked the voice of the 'cousin' on the phone in a bid to get Mr Nicholson into the flat.

Just six days earlier, the victim had been invited to the flat under the same pretext of meeting a woman.

He was held captive and his phone taken from him before the pair recorded him 'confessing' to raping Gossling in 2014, when the two were in a relationship.

There is no evidence that the alleged rape took place.

Bournemouth Echo:

Nigel Pascoe QC, mitigating for Gossling, called her part in the murder "wicked, unkind [and] cruel."

However, he said the defendant's atypical autism and two personality disorders played a part in her crime.

"She plainly suffered from a mental disorder not amounting to diminished responsibility but capable of lowering significantly her degree of culpability," Mr Pascoe said.

Bournemouth Echo:

Oba Nsugbe QC, mitigating for Moors, said that the defendant had to some extent been manipulated by "domineering" Gossling.

"There was an unjustified rage about an allegation of rape," he said. "He was dancing to some effect to her tune."

But Judge Alan Wilkie, sitting at Winchester Crown Court, said Gossling was more "robust and worldly" than her victim, while Moors had been "revealed as a nasty bully, revelling in his power to frighten and alarm [Mr Nicholson]."

"You tormented him for months," the judge said.

Gossling, found guilty of murder following a trial, was sentenced to life behind bars with a minimum term of 19 years.

Moors, who admitted murder in October, was also sentenced to life and will serve a minimum term of 22 years.

The two defendants could be seen grinning at each other as they sat in the dock. Moors laid his head on the glass and stared at Gossling as the judge gave his sentencing remarks.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Stewart Balmer, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: "Isabella Gossling and Richard Moors are truly evil.

"They targeted Phillip Nicholson because he was vulnerable and they could exert power over him. They subjected Phillip to a brutal and protracted attack.

"This is one of the most harrowing cases I have dealt with in 30 years’ service. The CCTV of Phillip following Gossling and Moors around Boscombe is chilling because as investigators we know he is going to come to harm. The fact they chose to audio record this violent and sick act on her mobile phone is beyond belief.

"No sentence is ever going to alleviate the pain these offenders have caused but I hope the convictions will go some small way to offering Phillip’s family some closure during this traumatic time.

"I would also like to put on record my appreciation of the investigation team led by Detective Sergeant Wayne Seymour. The professionalism they have shown in difficult circumstances is commendable.”

In a statement, Phillip’s family said: "We are totally devastated by the way that Phillip was cruelly tormented, tortured and murdered.

"Our son was kind, caring and helpful to all and did not deserve this callous death.

"Phillip’s death will always leave a huge dent in our hearts and those of family and friends that knew him."

Phillip's dad Chris Nicholson said: "I promised him when I saw him in the morgue that I'd get complete justice."

He and wife Michelle thanked the Crown Prosecution Service and officers from Dorset Police's Major Crime Team for their support in a emotional speech outside Winchester Crown Court.

The couple, who sat together at the press desk to watch their son's killers sentenced, had sat at court for each day of Gossling's trial, and Mr Nicholson said: "I'd also like to say a big thank you to the jury for having to listen to the dying moments of my son, which we just could not do."