A soldier who killed his ex-girlfriend by slitting her throat has been jailed for life after being found guilty of her murder.

Trimaan "Harry" Dhillon drove 240 miles from his barracks in Penicuik, Midlothian, to Alice Ruggles' flat in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, in October last year.

The lance corporal claimed he had been going to retrieve some clothes from her but the 24-year-old's flatmate found her covered in blood on the bathroom floor.

Maxine McGill called 999, telling the operator Ms Ruggles was "blue" and naming Dhillon as a suspect.

Dhillon, a signaller in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, had denied murdering Ms Ruggles at a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

On Wednesday, a jury found the 26-year-old guilty of murder.

Judge Paul Sloan QC jailed him for life and he will serve a minimum of 22 years.

The victim's family urged the public to be aware of signs of stalking, after Dhillon repeatedly tried to contact his ex-girlfriend.

Speaking outside the court, Alice's mother sue said: "(Dhillon) was a cruel, manipulative bully who made Alice miserable and took her away from us.

"With hindsight there were many signs of stalking that we did not recognise, everyone should know about these signs."

The court was told Ms Ruggles had complained Dhillon was harassing her after they broke up, travelling to her flat to knock on her door, tap on her window and leave flowers and chocolates outside.

He received an official warning about his behaviour and his commanding officer told him to stay away from her.

Ms McGill told the court her flatmate felt the police had "palmed off" her concerns about Dhillon's harassment when she contacted them.

Ms Ruggles was pronounced dead at the scene of the murder on October 12.

A pathologist said Ms Ruggles' neck was slashed at least six times. The wound had penetrated all the way to her spine.

Earlier in the trial, prosecutors described how Ms McGill discovered her flatmate covered in blood on the bathroom floor.

Richard Wright QC told the court: "She had suffered horrendous injuries she could not have survived. Someone had slit her throat open from ear to ear, leaving her neck wide open."

Mr Wright said the victim bled to death on the bathroom floor.

He played the 999 call to jurors on Monday, in which Ms McGill appeared extremely distressed and breathed heavily, sometimes calling out her friend's name.

At one point she said: "It looks like she's been attacked. Please help."

She told the call handler Ms Ruggles had reported having trouble with her ex-boyfriend Dhillon, claiming she had called 101 in the past.

Mr Wright said the flatmate had good reason to name Dhillon, who was charged under his first name Trimaan.

He said: "Maxine had seen the obsessive and manipulative manner in which Dhillon had harassed and stalked Alice in the weeks and months before her death."