Female football coach Karen Tunmore jailed for life over 'cold case' murder of Sunderland teen Scott Pritchard

Karen Tunmore, 36, from Towton, Killingworth, admitted during the summer she had killed 19-year-old Scott Pritchard in Sunderland in 2004.

WATCH: The moment Tunmore arrives at police station to confess to Scott's murderScott Pritchard, who was using ctutches for a broken foot, was found murdered, with extensive head injuries, outside his home in Sunderland in January 2004 and the identity of his killer has remained an unsolved mystery ever since.

Members of Scott's family, who have campaigned tirelessly for justice, were in court to hear the verdict.

But missing was Scott's father Fred Stacey - who was once charged with his son's killing only for the case to be dismissed in court on the day his trial was due to start - as he remains ill in hospital and was unable to see his son's murderer put behind bars.

A year after his death, Scott's heartbroken dad, who said his life became a "living nightmare", was charged with the murder and spent 16 weeks on remand in Durham prison before the proceedings against him were eventually dropped.Now, years after Northumbria Police had considered the killing to be a "cold case, unsolved murder", Karen Tunmore has been given a life sentence and told she must serve at least 17-and-a-half years in jail after her unexpected confession.Newcastle Crown Court heard, after tyring to take her own life in July, Tunmore had told a colleague "i've killed somebody" and made a full confession at the police station.When she was charged over tragic Scott's death she told detectives: "Tell his family I am sorry".Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court Tunmore said on the night of the killing she and a man she refused to name, but was referred to as "X" in court, had confonted Scott in the street over a £200 debt, of which she was owed £120.Tunmore told police she "saw red" when Scott said he had no money and had lashed out with a baseball bat after he had laughed at her threats.Mr Perks said: "She said he had become lippy, cheeky."She said she had 'seen red' and hit him on the head with the baseball bat then struck him a further twice once he had fallen to the ground."She then left the scene with the other male, in the car."