A Shropshire man who murdered his friend just to find out what it was like to kill someone – then kept the body hidden for two months – must serve at least 15 years behind bars.

Paul Shaw lived at Sunningdale, Hadley, Telford, when he murdered Jason Kelly ten years ago. When Shaw was jailed for life he was described as “highly dangerous” and “a man obsessed with violence”.

Yesterday, at the High Court in London, Mr Justice Davis set Shaw’s tariff – the minimum number of years he must spend behind bars before being considered for parole – at 15 years.

He stood trial at Stafford Crown Court ten years ago.

Shaw’s victim, Mr Kelly, was last seen leaving the Woolpack pub in Shawbirch with Shaw.

Mr Kelly was not seen alive again and ten weeks later his body was found wedged in a wheelie bin outside Shaw’s house in Hadley.

The investigation revealed Mr Kelly had been strangled with an electric flex and his wrist, ankles and knees had been bound.

Shaw told police another man had murdered his friend. Taking into account the time that Shaw, who was 25 at the time of the killing, spent on remand, he can apply for his freedom in 2010.

However he will only be released if he can convince the authorities that he is no longer a danger to the public and, even if he does win his liberty, he will remain on “life licence”. If he commits any offence he will face immediate recall to jail.

The court heard yesterday that the trial judge in March 1996 said Shaw, who is now 36, had decided to murder his “naive and lonely” friend so he could find out what it was like to kill.

Shaw lured Mr Kelly to his home from the pub, tied him up and then garroted him.

He then hid the body in a bin and covered it with sand and oil.

Mr Justice Davis said the killing was “vicious and callous”, adding that Shaw set out a “false trail” following the murder, implicating another man who was acquitted.

The judge also observed that he had taken into account the remorse Shaw had shown, and his claims that his victim had made a sexual advance towards him and he reacted badly.

By Kirsty Marston