Depraved killer Ze Selassie is today starting a life prison sentence for the brutal murder of schoolgirl Rhiana Moore.

The 14-year-old victim was pregnant with 33-year-old Selassie's baby when he stabbed her multiple times then dumped her body in the sea.

It took a Supreme Court jury just over three hours yesterday to find him guilty by unanimous verdict of premeditated murder.

Addressing Selassie afterwards, Chief Justice Richard Ground said: "This was a callous and exceptionally brutal murder of a 14-year-old girl whom you had debauched sexually and who was pregnant with your child.

"There are no words that can express the depravity of your conduct. I give my deepest sympathies to the mother and family of the victim. Nothing can ever restore their loss, but the jury's verdict at least means that there will be some retribution.

"The penalty fixed by law is life. I impose that penalty."

Selassie who was convicted of rape in a separate case ten years ago showed little emotion after the verdict. He declined an opportunity to address the court.

Rhiana's mother Juliann Moore, 46, broke down in tears immediately after the verdict.

She was comforted by a large number of supporters who had gathered in court, and who later joined her in prayers.

She said as she left court: "Justice has been served. I don't want to say anything else, but justice has been served."

Bermuda's criminal code states that someone convicted of premeditated murder should serve a minimum tariff of at least 25 years behind bars before being considered for parole.

However, a recent appeal judgement has cast some legal questions over the way murderers should be sentenced, and who should decide exactly how long they serve.

The Chief Justice indicated he will discuss these issues as they relate to the Selassie case at a later date, and hear submissions from lawyers.

However, asked if she felt 25 years behind bars would be long enough for Selassie, Mrs. Moore replied: "It's not enough. He should be in prison forever."

During the two week trial, Selassie admitted that he and Rhiana engaged in a secret and illegal sexual relationship.

He also admitted that he met Rhiana after she left her church youth group around 9.20 p.m. on May 30 2008 — the night she was last seen alive.

He denied murder, and insisted he took her home safely. But Rhiana never came home that night. Her semi-clothed body was found in the water at Blue Hole Hill nature reserve in Hamilton Parish the following morning.

She'd been stabbed 18 times in the head, neck, chest, back and stomach and was 27-30 weeks' pregnant with Selassie's baby girl. Prosecutors said Selassie killed his young lover to get rid of her and their unborn child, to save himself from their illegal relationship being discovered.

By his own admission, he feared going to jail for having unlawful carnal knowledge of the underage girl. The pair had managed to keep her pregnancy secret, but they feared in the weeks before Rhiana's death that it would soon become obvious. Cell phone records presented to the Police by Rhiana's mother after she went missing showed Selassie was the last person the girl had called.

Aware of his past which includes a number of offences against women the Police soon named him as their prime suspect, and arrested him within hours. The jury heard damning evidence of his suspicious behaviour the night Rhiana went missing.

A friend of the defendant, who worked with him on construction sites, saw him speeding in his car out of Ferry Reach in St. George's and wrote down his registration number out of concern. Selassie was also spotted by a different witness having an argument with someone in a St. David's boat yard that night, yelling "what are you doing to me Rhi?" while banging his fists on his car in anger.

The next morning, at 8.39 a.m, he was caught on security cameras dumping a trash bag at Tyne's Bay incinerator. Prosecutors believe it contained Rhiana's jacket, shoes and cell phone.

Her body was found around three hours later, and the killer was arrested at his home in Battery Road, St. David's, that afternoon. He was employed as a construction supervisor at the time, and living with his girlfriend and young son.

Rhiana's blood was later discovered in his blue Suzuki Swift car by crime-scene experts. Selassie lied during his trial that he'd accidentally hit Rhiana's face when they were sitting in his car on the night in question, causing her to bleed.

Prosecutor Michael McColm admitted as the trial drew to a conclusion that the Police do not know exactly when and where Selassie butchered his young victim. It is clear the murder was not perpetrated in Selassie's car as there would have been more blood. It's believed he accidentally transferred Rhiana's blood into his car after the vicious attack, and after dumping her body.

Such was the brutality of the slaying, that even seasoned investigators were horrified. One source told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "They were very professional in dealing with it but when they had down-time outside working hours, people would discuss it. They were disgusted at what happened."

Such was the harrowing nature of the evidence in the case, that the Chief Justice excused the seven women and five men of the jury from having to serve again in the next ten years.