Canada: Porn star sentenced to life after killing lover and posting dismembered body parts

A Canadian man has been sentenced to life after he killed his Chinese lover and posted his dismembered body parts to schools across Canada.

Luke Magnotta was found guilty of first-degree murder after he killed 33-year-old engineering student Jun Lin. After dismembering Mr Lin's body parts he posted them to schools and to the offices of Canada's political parties.

In May 2012, a package containing a severed foot was found at the headquarters of Canada's ruling Conservative party.

The same day, a hand was found at a postal facility in a package addressed to the country's Liberal Party.

Mr Lin's torso was discovered in a suitcase at a rubbish dump outside Magnotta's apartment building in Montreal.

Around a week later, the missing foot and hand were found, delivered by post to two schools in Vancouver.

Magnotta was eventually arrested in the German capital, Berlin, following an international manhunt.

The 32-year-old admitted killing Lin in 2012, but his lawyer claimed Magnotta is schizophrenic and should not be found criminally responsible by reason of insanity.

The prosecution argued that the crime was pre-meditated and that Magnotta's behaviour and actions were not those of an insane person.

An email Magnotta sent to a British reporter six months before the murder was cited as a key piece of evidence incriminating him.

Journalist Alex West had confronted Magnotta in London in December 2011 about a series of cat killing videos he had made online.

Magnotta replied with an email on 10 December suggesting that cats were just the beginning.

"Next time you hear from me it will be in a movie I am producing, that will have some humans in it... Once you kill, and taste blood, it's impossible to stop," he said. "The urge is just too strong not to continue."

A video also appeared online that prosecutors say shows Magnotta stabbing and having sex with the corpse.

Prosecutor Louis Bouthillier said: "I thought we had good evidence of premeditation. There was never a doubt the jury would find Magnotta guilty of first-degree murder."

Magnotta was also convicted on four other charges and given the maximum sentences allowed, from two to 10 years. The sentence carries the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Magnotta showed no emotion as the verdicts on each of the five charges were read out.

Mr Lin's father, Diran Lin, travelled from China to Montreal for the trial. A lawyer read out an impact statement on his behalf after the verdicts in the trial.

"I had come to see your trial system to see justice done and I leave satisfied that you have not let my son down," Daniel Urbas said.

"I had come to see remorse, to hear some form of apology, and I leave without anything."