POLICE have spoken out about the impact faced by a drug addict's victims as he is jailed for life.

Ben Harvey, of Ridges View, Little London,was sentenced today at Winchester Crown Court to life imprisonment and was told he must serve 28 years as a minimum.

On June 11 last year, Harvey stabbed to death William Rudiak at a home in Turin Court, Andover, attacked Alexandra Taylor, the girlfriend of Mr Rudiak, and attempted to molest a teenage girl at a separate address.

READ: Murderer who stabbed 'defencless' victim to death jailed for life>>

Jurors also found Harvey guilty of one count of causing actual bodily harm (ABH) and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

For the ABH offence, Harvey received two-and-a-half years in prison and for the sexual offence he was given eight years, both to run concurrently.

The jury took six hours to find Harvey guilty of all three offences.

Speaking after the sentencing, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector John McGonigle said: “In the early hours of Monday, June 11 last year, Ben Harvey embarked on a course of action that left one man dead and others fearful for their safety.

“These were disturbing incidents that have had a significant impact on the friends of family of all those involved.

“Despite the clear evidence, Harvey’s pleas have meant that those affected have had to relive their experience in the courtroom.

“I would like to thank them for their courage and I hope that today’s sentence gives them some form of closure.

“I would also like to thank those paramedics and officers who attended the scenes that night, and to those involved in the investigation that followed.”

Following the verdicts, Kerry Maylin, prosecuting, said: “This was a complex case as although there was ample evidence that proved that Ben Harvey had killed William Rudiak, the issue that the CPS had to prove was that he had intended to do so.

“Ben Harvey’s defence was that he had no intent to kill or cause really serious harm to William Rudiak and/or that he was suffering from the mental health condition of drug-induced psychosis.

“The jury however heard that Ben Harvey went to the victim’s house armed with a kitchen knife taken from his parents’ kitchen, broke into the house and fatally stabbed Mr Rudiak and then bit Ms Taylor. Less than hour later he, with a sexual purpose, attacked a second victim, a 16-year-old girl also asleep in her bed.

“After hearing the evidence, the jury was satisfied that Ben Harvey was fully culpable for the killing of Willam Rudiak and returned a guilty verdict for his murder.

“We hope that this conviction we bring some kind of comfort to the family of Mr Rudiak and to Ms Taylor."