Brothers who killed woman using WWE and Ultimate Fight Championship wrestling moves jailed for life
Three brothers who smoked legal highs before killing a woman with WWE and Ultimate Fight Championship wrestling moves have been jailed for life.
Delyth Andrews, 54, died after a seven-hour attack in which the brothers performed violent throws including rainbow flips, T-Bones and Cliff-hangers on their victim.
Scott, 23, Adam, 20, and 19-year-old Joshua Knight, took Ms Andrews prisoner in her Ramsgate home after claiming to have smoked legal highs.
On Thursday, they were jailed for a minimum term of 23 years but warned they may never be released from prison..
Judge Adele Williams said: “In my judgement they are equally responsible, equally guilty.”
The jury at Canterbury Crown Court took three days to find them all guilty of murder.
All three men denied murder. Joshua and Adam offered guilty pleas to the lesser charge of manslaughter and all three admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent before she died.
Adam Knight’s defence Johnathan Higgs QC, said: “She was abused in her own house and during the preceding months these three invaded her home and abused that trust.
"There was an absence of understanding by the brothers about what they had done."
Philip Bennetts QC, prosecuting, said that Delyth's neighbours had described her as "too trusting" after she died following the attack, in December 2015.
The court heard that Delyth, who was described as 4ft 11ins and suffering with bi-polar disorder, got to know the brothers after inviting their homeless mother, Elaine Morley, to live in her home in Ramsgate, Kent.
Mr Bennetts added: "Joshua moved in as well - and as time progressed, Elaine Morley's other sons, Scott and Adam also moved into Ms Andrews's home.
Within weeks, they had stripped Ms Andrews’ semi-detached home bare of everything they could sell to buy drugs.
The court heard that the family were "noisy, anti-social, playing loud music which was going all times of the day and night".
Neighbours described Ms Morley and her sons as “aggressive and intimidating” who had bullied Ms Andrews.
In November 2015, the emergency services were called after Ms Andrews was found lying injured on her back in bed, complaining: “They were jumping all over me”.
Mr Bennetts added: “An X-ray revealed she had multiple rib fractures, fractures to her sternum and her pelvis.”
It was then she claimed she had been controlled by the brothers who had taken her TV and jewellery before performing body slams on her.
Joshua later apparently told police he and his brothers had performed wrestling moves on her.
Scott told officers he had been out selling things to buy money to buy "spice" - a legal high.
Mr Bennetts said: "He told police how Joshua and Adam had begun the assault, jumping on Ms Andrews and rainbow flipping her on to her bed.
"He told officers that this had broken some of the wooden slats and his brothers encouraged him to join in.
"He described the assault continuing for hours, from 8pm or 9pm through to 3am with the brothers following her wherever she went in the house.
"He said the moves he and his brothers performed, saying they jumped onto her from the sofa and did rainbow flips, T-Bones, Cliffhangers and FUs."
The FU is a highly dangerous move, performed by WWE star John Cena, which sees the opponent hoisted onto the attacker’s shoulders before being swung by their neck and slammed onto their back.
Scott told police “his mother was out during the assault but observed that she didn’t care as she wasn’t really Ms Andrews’ friend and didn’t even pay rent to stay in the house".
The brothers were initially charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent but Ms Andrews' condition deteriorated by the end of November 2015 and she died in December 2015.
A pathologist concluded her death was as a result of the effects of the injuries she had received during the assault.
Speaking after the Knight brothers were convicted of her murder, her sister Sian Brown said Delyth was "compassionate and generous to a fault".
A WWE spokesman said: “WWE offers its heartfelt condolences to Delyth Andrews’ family and friends. The verdict has brought these murderers to justice for their heinous crimes.
"We doubt the veracity of their statements that WWE moves were used when in fact there are no moves such as rainbow flips, T-Bones and Cliff-hangers.
"We are appalled that WWE has been senselessly dragged into this heinous crime.”
No comments:
Post a Comment