THE family of murdered Cairneyhill teenager Hazel North have welcomed the life sentence handed down to her “evil” killer.

John Davis was yesterday (Wednesday) ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years for what a judge branded a “wholly motiveless attack”.

Hazel’s grieving brother, Michael, said in a statement outside court that he was “delighted” that “such an evil individual has been removed from society”.

He added, “Nothing will bring Hazel back. We would ask people to remember Hazel for who she was and her beautiful smile and not the tragedy that ended her life.” Davis (26) carried out a brutal and sustained assault on Hazel (right), who was his girlfriend, at his flat in Kilmarnock in March.

The 19-year-old may have lain dying for up to 18 hours before being fatally injured. Davis then hid the remains in a shallow grave and later boasted to a friend, “I done her in and buried her.” Hazel’s family – including parents Rosina and dad Graeme – were in court to see the convicted thug locked up.

Lady Rae told Davis, “The circumstances disclose that this was a brutal and prolonged attack. You destroyed a young woman’s life while she was in her prime and you have caused indescribable suffering to her family.” She said it was clear Davis had a “considerable propensity for violence” and that the sentence would have been 23 years but for his guilty plea.

The judge added, “The assault must have been perpetrated over a long part of the day. Tragically you sought no assistance for her.” In covering up the death, she also told Davis, “You must have caused the family untold suffering not knowing where she was or whether she was alive or dead.” Hazel had last spoken to her parents on 28th February, the same day she was last seen alive.

But it was only after a huge hunt was launched on 19th March to find her that Davis handed himself into police – having earlier fled to try to join the Foreign Legion.

On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to murder at the High Court in Glasgow. He was sentenced the next morning.

It emerged he was only back on the streets due to early release from prison for a vicious attack with a golf club.

Sentenced to 33 months in October 2012 for an assault which left his victim permanently impaired, the jail term was not due to expire until May 2015 but he was freed in December.

Hazel began dating Davis in May 2012 after meeting in Stranraer but the relationship was described as “on-off” at the time of the murder.

After her disappearance, suspicion fell upon Davis. His friend, James Christie, told detectives of a chilling conversation between them on 18th March. When he asked where Hazel was, Davis replied that he had “done her in and buried her”.

Police found a mud-splattered spade in Davis’ flat in Northcraig Road, Kilmarnock, but couldn’t find or contact him until he turned up at the police station with his suitcase.

He blurted out, “Hazel is dead and I’ll show you where she is.” He later added she had “passed on 9th March” and eventually directed police to the town’s Dean Park.

Prosecutor David Nicolson said, “He pointed out an area of the ground and said Hazel North was ‘in there’.

“He continued, ‘This is helping me. I realise what I did was wrong and I’ll face the music from here’.” Hazel’s naked corpse was discovered wrapped in a sheet and a curtain.It is thought the body had lain there for around two weeks – just 300 yards from Davis’ flat.

The court heard Hazel suffered “severe blunt force trauma” to her head, neck and body.

Her horror list of injuries included massive bruising and multiple fractures, including to the jaw, eye socket and 14 to the ribs.

A pathologist said the injuries “suggested a survival rate of at least 16-18 hours” after they were sustained.

Injuries to the abdomen and liver were such that “the deceased would have bled very heavily and would be expected to die quickly thereafter”.

When charged with the killing, however, Davis said, “I didn’t murder Hazel.” He initially claimed Hazel had drowned herself in a bath and that he had tried to save her.

But he later told his sister he had “strangled and battered” his girlfriend, “wrapped her up in a carpet” and buried the body.

No reason was given by Davis for the murder and his lawyer, Simon Gilbride, said, “Why he did what he did that day, he does not really know.

“However, standing the injuries suffered, this was done in a brutal fashion.

He does recall that it was 9th March she died, after that happened he panicked and disposed of the body. He then effectively ran away.

“He could not come to terms with the gravity of the situation.”