Crime This article is more than 9 years old

Gloucester man jailed for life after stabbing ex-girlfriend to death

This article is more than 9 years oldSecurity guard Asher Maslin told he will serve at least 24 years after murdering Hollie Gazzard at hair salon where she worked

A security guard who stabbed his former partner to death as she worked in a hairdressing salon four days after she broke up with him has been jailed for life and told he will spend at least 24 years in prison.

Asher Maslin stabbed Hollie Gazzard 14 times in the neck, torso and chest in front of horrified customers and colleagues at the salon in Gloucester city centre. Bystanders tried to save 20-year-old Gazzard but were warned off by Maslin and she died as a result of massive blood loss.

Gazzard had ended her relationship with Maslin, 22, because he had been violent to her, and she went to the police two days before she was murdered to report him after he threatened her and her family.

The police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation into Gloucestershire police's contact with Gazzard before her death.

Gazzard went to the police two days before she was murdered to report him after he threatened her and her family. Photograph: Gloucestershire police/PA

Following the attack in the Fringe Benefits salon, Maslin, of Cheltenham, was arrested at a friend's house, and last month he admitted a charge of murder.

Friends and relatives of the popular hairdresser packed the public gallery at Gloucester crown court to see Maslin sentenced.

Stephen Mooney, prosecuting, told the court: "The postmortem examination revealed that in the one minute and 52 seconds that he was in the salon, Asher Maslin, in a brutal and sustained attack, inflicted 14 stab wounds to Hollie. In addition, a number of defence wounds were found to her arms as she tried fend off the assault to her."

Mooney said Gazzard met Maslin in February last year. They moved to Edgware in north London and later to Watford before returning to Gloucester in July, as she wanted to be near her family.

"It was then that the defendant became violent towards her and he grabbed her around the throat after a night out," Mooney said.

The court heard that he also hit her in November but Gazzard did not report either incident to the police.

Mooney said the last straw in the relationship was when Maslin kicked her in January this year. Gazzard and Maslin met for a meal at a pizza restaurant in Gloucester city centre on Valentine's Day and she told him the relationship was over, the court heard.

"He gave her his provisional driving licence and his mobile phone and told her he no longer needed them as he was going to kill himself," Mooney said. "He later told her that he wanted them back and she agreed to meet him."

Maslin and Gazzard met in a pub. "He threw a glass of water in her face, telling her: 'You need some cold water over your cold heart'," Mooney said.

Maslin stole her cash card, telling her he wanted to "cause you inconvenience as you have caused me". He took £300 from her bank account and texted her: "This poxy £300 means nothing to me."

He sent her other messages, including: "I am going to come into your house now. Going to smash your house up." Another said: "It's Asher give me a ring now or dis bat is going to hit your dad's head."

Gazzard contacted the police on 15 February to report that her card had been stolen. Officers spoke to her that day and the next.

On 17 February – the day before the attack – Maslin sent Gazzard another message: "Hollie ring my phone or call. I don't want to get fucking violent as I'll take it too far."

On 18 February Maslin bought a knife from a branch of Wilkinson's in Gloucester for £3 after selling a DVD player at Cash Converters for £5 earlier in the day. CCTV footage captured him walking towards the salon at around 6pm.

Mr Justice Teare told Maslin: "The number of stab of wounds on a defenceless young woman show that this was a merciless killing. It was carried out in public, witnessed by customers of the salon, colleagues of Hollie Gazzard and by passersby.

"Hollie Gazzard was 20 years of age and at the start of her adult life. As her father said, the world was at her feet. Her family has lost a daughter and a sister. Hollie's father and sister have described the devastating effect Hollie's death has had on them and on other members of the family.

"Her death has been felt throughout Gloucester, as is shown by the circumstance that over 900 mourners attended her funeral at the cathedral."

As he was taken down, Maslin nodded to his weeping family and said: "Sorry."

The IPCC said two police officers and a call handler had been served with misconduct notices informing them that their actions connected to the case were under investigation.

Its investigation is focusing on two contacts Gazzard had with police before she was murdered. The first occasion was in July 2013 when CCTV operators witnessed Maslin grab Gazzard by the throat in Gloucester. The second was Gazzard's call to the police to report that Maslin had stolen her bank card.

The IPCC said in a statement: "IPCC investigators are reviewing the action taken after each of the incidents to see whether the potential risk Hollie faced was correctly graded and the appropriate action taken to protect her. The force's training and policies are also being reviewed to see if there are any improvements the force can make in these areas.

"As part of the investigation two police officers and a call handler have been served with misconduct notices informing them their actions are under investigation. Statements were received from each of the officers, and they along with the call handler have been interviewed by IPCC investigators."

Associate commissioner Guido Liguori said: "Our investigation is progressing well, and once concluded we hope it will answer the question of whether Gloucestershire police could or should have been done more to protect her."

Gazzard's father, Nick, described how the 20-year-old would "light up any room".

He said: "She was lovely, she was bright, she was bubbly, she was funny. She was a character, she would keep you on your toes. She used to light up the room when she came home from work.

"It is such a loss now not to have her around. It was like a light bulb going on when she came in. She was the life and soul of every party that she went to."

He said the family now believed that Maslin abused Hollie throughout the couple's relationship, though it was not clear at the time. "She tried to hide it from us. She wanted to protect us from him," he said.

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