AN AUSTRALIAN drug runner has been jailed for life for the murder of Peter Falconio who formerly worked at Pfizer at Sandwich, near Deal.

Bradley Murdoch was also found guilty of abducting and assaulting Mr Falconio’s girlfriend Joanne Lees on an Outback highway north of Alice Springs in July 2001.

Mr Falconio worked for a contractor at Pfizer’s at Sandwich for 18 months before he went travelling around the world.

At the time of his disappearance, project manager for Laing Construction Clive Morley said: “He was a popular, outgoing and conscientious member of the team and had a promising career ahead of him.”

The court in Darwin heard how Murdoch flagged down the couple in their camper van, shotting Mr Falconio and threatening Miss Lees before pointing a gun to her head and tying her up.

Mr Falconio’s body has never been found.