A man who sent sordid sex texts to Measham schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood is set for immediate release from prison after judges cut his jail term.

Bruce John Cordwell, of Raleigh Street, Nottingham, had been locked up for 43 months, but this week judges sitting in the Court of Appeal in London cut his sentence to just 12 months, which means given the time he has already served in prison,he will be released.

He had originally appeared at Chester Crown Court in February where he admitted trying to arrange the commission of a child sexual act, with the teenager.

Ashby schoolgirl Kayleigh, 15, was brutally raped and murdered by Stephen Beadman after being groomed online by his neighbour Luke Harlow.

It also came to light that Kayleigh had been groomed in an unconnected case by Cordwell, which was the subject of a separate court case.

Given automatic deductions, the court heard Cordwell has now "served his sentence" and is due for immediate release.

Cordwell, 20, sent Kayleigh, who was a pupil at Ashby School, a series of sexually explicit texts just days before she was brutally raped and murdered by 29-year-old Beadman.

Grooming offences were not logged officially by Leicestershire Police. Pictured is Measham teenager Kayleigh Haywood who was groomed before her tragic murder
Kayleigh, who was a pupil at Ashby School was groomed in 2015 before her murder

Her body was found dumped near a lake in Ibstock, in Leicestershire, five days after she was last seen getting off a bus near Ibstock Community College.

Beadman was last year given a life sentence after he admitted the teenager's murder. Harlow, 28, who initially made contact with Kayleigh, was jailed for 12 years for grooming and falsely imprisoning her.

In the appeal court Justice Cheema-Grubb, reducing Cordwell's sentence, stressing that he had nothing to do with Kayleigh's disappearance or tragic death.

Once he learned she was missing he had even sent her further texts, urging her to return home. His crimes were limited to sending sexually explicit photos of himself, and trying to arrange to meet her for sex.

The judge said: "He tried to arrange to meet her for sex but this did not get off the ground. There was no actual meeting or physical contact - let alone sexual activity."

She ruled that the judge who jailed Cordwell had applied "too rigid an approach" and the sentence he imposed was excessive.

Timeline of events in the Kayleigh Haywood case

Friday, November 13, 2015

Kayleigh is last seen by her parents after they drop her off outside Ibstock Community College in Central Avenue, Ibstock, at around 6pm. The teenager had arranged not to return home that night.

Saturday, November 14

Kayleigh is reported missing. Police believe she may have been sighted in the Sence Valley Forest Park area at some point on Saturday afternoon. Later that day, Kayleigh's mobile phone is handed in to police by a member of the public.

Sunday, November 15

As the search intensifies for Kayleigh, police make a move on two suspects. A 27-year-old and 28-year-old from Ibstock are arrested. They turn out to be Stephen Beadman and Luke Harlow.

Monday, November 16

Police launch a video appeal in which Chief Superintendent David Sandall addresses Kayleigh directly saying: "we just want to ensure you're safe and well."

Tuesday, November 17

Activity by police sees a house in the Baker's Croft estate in Ibstock and the entrance to Sence Valley Forest Park cordoned off by police and the search for Kayleigh enters its fifth day. Kayleigh's parents make an emotional appeal.

Stephanie Haywood and Martin Whitby begged their daughter to come home saying they just wanted her back safe and sound.

Detectives were also granted a further 36 hours to hold and question the two men initially arrested in connection with Kayleigh's disappearance.

Wednesday, November 18

Belton, a village eight miles from Ibstock, is subject to a police search early in the day.

Late on Wednesday evening police discover a body in a field near to the lake in Ibstock, and announce that they believe it to be Kayleigh's.

Officers later identify the body as Kayleigh's – they identify her with the help of dental records.

Thursday, November 19

Two men are charged for their part in Kayleigh's death.

Stephen Beadman, 28, from George Avenue, Ibstock, is charged with the 15-year-old's murder, plus a rape charge.

Luke Harlow, 27, also of George Avenue, is charged with grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Hundreds of people attend a candlelit vigil to remember Kayleigh at St Laurence Church in Measham.

Friday, November 20

Beadman and Harlow appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court. They don't enter pleas to the charges at this stage and both men are remanded in custody to appear at Leicester Crown Court on December 18.

Tuesday, November 24

The inquest into Kayleigh's death opens in Loughborough. A preliminary post-mortem examination reveals that the teenager died from head and facial injuries. The inquest is adjourned until February.

Both men appear at Leicester Crown Court, Beadman via video link and Harlow in person. No pleas are entered and a trial date is set for June 7.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Kayleigh's funeral takes place in her hometown of Measham. The service is held at St Laurence Church with hundreds of people paying their respects.

Tuesday, April 5

Stephen Beadman pleads guilty to raping and murdering Kayleigh.

Beadman, and Harlow, plead not guilty to falsely imprisoning Kayleigh on November 13, the day she died.

Tuesday, June 8

Over the course of a two-week trial the court hears how Harlow wanted "a weekend of sex-fuelled by alcohol".

It also hears how Kayleigh was seen running into the street half naked before being tackled by Beadman and forced to walk a mile to the site where she was eventually murdered.

Both men were found guilty of false imprisonment.