The 21-year-old was stabbed and set alight by her deranged ex-boyfriend on a country lane in Rainford last June. Despite suffering from 80 per cent burns, she managed to crawl to a nearby cottage begging for help.

She died in Whiston Hospital three hours later.

Anthony Clarke was jailed for at least 25 years last week after being convicted of her murder.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission will investigate how Merseyside Police dealt with allegations of domestic violence prior to her death

Officers from Merseyside Police were in contact with Ms Szmecht and she complained about Clarke's behaviour in the days leading up to her murder.

Clarke bundled Ms Szmecht, who at the time was living in Wellesbourne Place, Norris Green, into his van where he kept her imprisoned for four hours, before taking her to Mossborough Road, Rainford, and stabbing her six times and setting her alight.

The former soldier, of Halsey Crescent, West Derby, had denied murder but the 11 jurors returned a unanimous guilty verdict after five hours of deliberations.

Clarke was originally charged with murder alongside his uncle, David Clarke, 46, of Walton Village, Liverpool, and best friend Philip Savin, 29, of Chester Avenue, Bootle, Merseyside.

But on the day the trial was due to begin, both Savin and David Clarke agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges and give evidence for the prosecution.

Police posted armed officers around the court building for the verdict as the three men are thought to have links with Liverpool's criminal underworld.