Christopher Sawyers jailed for minimum of 33 years for murder and co-accused Kirsty Edmondson is cleared of same charge

A man has been jailed for life after he was found guilty of murdering a former teacher, but a woman who took selfies next to the corpse has been cleared.

Christopher Sawyers, 36, gave former teacher and soldier Kenneth Chapman, 48, a "very large dose of heroin" so he could steal from him. A jury at Manchester crown court found him guilty of Chapman's murder and cleared 23-year-old Kirsty Edmondson of the same charge.

Sawyers was also found guilty of manslaughter in relation to the death of a former accountant who was killed by a cocktail of drink and drugs last July. He had already admitted theft and fraud offences in relation to Chapman's death.

Christopher Sawyers. Photograph: PA

Sawyers and Edmondson, both drug addicts, blamed each other for the death of Chapman after they spent days "sporadically" living with the corpse while they stole from him.

The pair posed for pictures taken as his body decomposed in the same room and went on to film themselves having sex in his bed at his home in Eccles, Greater Manchester.

Sawyers was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 33 years, while Edmondson was sentenced to three years after admitting theft and fraud charges.

Tony Cross QC, prosecuting, said Chapman's body was found at his rented flat 15 days after he died on 28 December last year.

He said: "In those days between death and discovery these two defendants began to steal what they could from him – his TV, computer, his car – and from his bank account to purchase goods using a variety of different fraudulent methods, even texting his sister pretending to be him to borrow money.

"These were callous and despicable actions and they began within hours of Kenneth Chapman's death and continued for days as the two defendants lived in the flat carrying on their lives whilst Kenneth Chapman lay dead. So twisted were they that they even took selfies of them enjoying themselves in the same room as the cadaver. These photos are trophy photos."

The court heard that Chapman's death was "inextricably linked" to that of former accountant Peter Clark last year. The 50-year-old died at his home in Ancoats, Greater Manchester, from a cocktail of alcohol, diazapam and an overdose of heroin injected by Sawyers.

Sawyers, who was not said to have intended to kill Clark, used his phone and debit card following his death. The crown said Sawyers realised that an opportunity existed to profit from his death, and it was that experience that led him to kill Chapman.

DCI Sarah Jones said Sawyers injected Chapman with heroin while motivated by greed.

"He has never accepted responsibility for what he did, meaning Ken's family have had to undergo the trauma of a trial," she said. "It is our belief that he killed him in order to financially benefit from his death so that together with Kirsty Edmondson they could continue to buy heroin.

"There is little doubt in my mind that the grip heroin had on them caused them to continue to periodically live with the dead body of Kenneth Chapman for in excess of a week in order to steal from him without ever giving a thought to the appalling nature of their crimes. We hope the sentences passed today will give some small comfort to Ken and Peter's family."