Woman who hid victim's body jailed

A woman who helped her "devious and manipulative" lover hide his murdered wife's body under floorboards was jailed for four and a half years today.

Rita Heyster helped Harry Jarvis dispose of 47-year-old Carol Jarvis's body in the basement of the family home in Bathgate, West Lothian.

Heyster had been living in Jarvis's garden shed prior to the killing.

Jarvis, 61, murdered the mother-of-four - his wife of 27 years - then wrapped her in a blanket with parcel tape and hid her body beneath their ground-floor flat in Balbardie Crescent in September 2009.

He is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted earlier this year and must spend at least 15 years behind bars before he can be considered for release.

Heyster, 57, was convicted in July at the High Court in Edinburgh of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by helping her boyfriend to cover up the crime.

She was earlier cleared of murdering Mrs Jarvis.

Jailing Heyster for four years and six months at the same court today, judge Lord Brailsford said the crime had the "pernicious" result of delaying the discovery of Mrs Jarvis' body.

PA