Batley man who murdered young woman before going on violent rampage given life sentence
Michael Doherty went a knife-wielding rampage across Dewsbury
Last updated 1 hour ago
A convicted sex offender from Batley who 'brutally' murdered a young woman at his home before going on a knife-wielding rampage has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 33 years.
Michael Doherty aged 38 who is also known as Michael Moore murdered 21 year-old Courtney Angus in a sexually motivated attack after she rejected him at his home in 2025.
Courtney had been staying at Doherty’s address for several days before the fatal attack.
The following day, Doherty went on a violent rampage across Dewsbury, stealing from local shops and threatening supermarket staff with a knife.
In January on what was due to be the first day of his trial at Leeds Crown Court, Doherty pleaded guilty to murder, theft and three counts of threatening a person with a blade - two involving police officers.
Senior Investigating Officer Dan Bates, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said:
“Doherty carried out his violent attack on Courtney after she told him she was not interested in having a relationship with him.
“He further showed his willingness to use violence by taking a knife into Dewsbury town centre, where he threatened a shop worker and the police officers who attended the robbery report.
“These actions clearly demonstrate that he is a very dangerous man, and I hope Courtney’s friends and family can take some comfort in the sentence passed down today.”
During sentencing at Leeds Crown Court Judge Kearl said: “What you had done after her rejection of you was to sexually humiliate her in every way you could imagine.
“The images (on the phone) show the extent of your depravity.”
He added: “Having been rejected by her you decided to overpower her, both physically and sexually, in order to satisfy yourself, and you took pleasure in doing so.”
The court heard Doherty had 23 previous convictions, including one for raping a woman he did not know in 2013 while pretending to walk her home from a nightclub.
He was jailed for five years, and entered a brief relationship with another woman after he was released, but torched her car when she ended things.
In January this year Doherty pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Angus, theft and three counts of threatening a person with a blade.
A statement from the family of Courtney Angus:
"The loss of Courtney has changed us all and we still cannot understand why she was so cruelly and suddenly taken from us.
"Courtney was such a loving and vibrant young woman with her whole life ahead of her. She was a huge part of this family, and she will never be replaced.
"While we are relieved that this case is now over and that her killer has been sentenced, our pain is as strong as it was on the day that she left us. Every day carries the weight of her absence.
"We would like to thank West Yorkshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing Doherty to justice, and the officers who have helped to support us throughout these proceedings. We would also like to thank our friends for being a much-needed beacon of light during these very dark times. "
Links to get help:
If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this article, help is available.
Contact Rape Crisis in your nation:
Rape crisis England and Wales - 0808 500 2222 - https://rapecrisis.org.uk
Rape Crisis Scotland - 08088 01 03 02 - https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
Rape Crisis NI – 0800 0246 991 - https://rapecrisisni.org.uk
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247 (run by Refuge)