THE killer of Bolton teenager, Rebecca Ryle, who was strangled after emigrating with her family to Australia, was today starting a life sentence.

James Duggan, aged 20, was ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years and six months behind bars before he can apply for release on parole.

Sentencing him yesterday at the Western Australian Supreme Court, Justice Lindy Jenkins described the crime as "bizarre".

She said: "My words cannot adequately describe the awful nature of your crime. For no apparent reason you took a young woman's life by literally choking it out of her and then you abandoned her."

Justice Jenkins said the murder was every parent's worst nightmare adding that Rebecca had died "alone and degraded" after Duggan choked her for at least two minutes.

"Miss Ryle's parents must live with the nightmare for the rest of their lives," she said.

Rebecca, a former Turton High School pupil, was strangled by Duggan after they met by chance as she enjoyed a night out with friends.

Along with her parents and brothers Chris, now aged 20, and Andrew, aged 10, the teenager had moved from Hardy Mill Road, Harwood, to the northern Perth beachside suburb of Mindarie, in November 2003, to start a new life.

During the trial, the court was told Rebecca met Duggan at The Boat pub in Mindarie Marina on May 5, 2004.

After closing time, Duggan walked with 19-year-old Rebecca towards her nearby home in Abbeville Circle.

But for some unknown reason, he grabbed her around the neck and choked her to death.

Rebecca was killed near portable classrooms in the grounds of a local primary school, about 50 metres from her home.

Duggan, from the northern Perth suburb of Quinn's Rock, was found guilty of murdering Miss Ryle, by a jury in February.

Following the sentencing, Rebecca's father said it would be a bad day if Duggan was ever released.

He added: "I think it would be sad, for the community, and young women in particular, if this individual I won't call him a man because he isn't is released. It would be a bad day."