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Wayne
EDWARDS
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics:
Abuse - "Merciless" attack
Number of victims: 1
Date of murder: May 2, 2009
Date of birth:
1976
Victim profile: Paul Peters, 76 (his grandfather)
Method of murder: Beating
with fists, feet, bottles and pieces of furniture
Location: London,
England, United Kingdom
Status:
Sentenced to life in prison (minimum 20 years) on January
13, 2010
Two men jailed for life for killing their
76-year-old grandfather in 'merciless' attack
DailyMail.co.uk
January 14, 2010
Two men who subjected their 76-year-old grandfather
to a 'merciless' attack to satisfy their thirst for violence were
jailed for life today.
Paul Peters had suffered two years of abuse at the
hands of Wayne Edwards and Anton Sanderson when he was killed in May
last year.
A few days before he died Mr Peters had complained
to police: 'This could escalate and God knows what could happen to
me.'
Edwards and Sanderson assaulted their frail
relative with fists, feet, bottles and pieces of furniture.
His body was left half-naked on the kitchen floor
of his home in Battersea, south London, Old Bailey jurors heard.
Edward Brown QC, prosecuting, said: 'It seems his
killing was for no other reason than to satisfy the need of each of
these two defendants for gratuitous violence, to be meted out to an
elderly and frail man.'
Edwards, 33, who lived with his grandfather in
Battersea and Sanderson, 24, from Lower Edmonton, north London, will
have to serve a minimum of 20 years after being convicted of murder.
Lee Beddoe, 34, Edwards's former girlfriend, from
Battersea, was acquitted earlier in the trial of assisting an
offender.
Judge Martyn Zeidman told the two men: 'You will
have many years to reflect on the wickedness of what you have done.
'You have both shown a complete lack of respect or
gratitude to others.'
The judge added: 'Throughout history, ordinary
people have been moved to do great things to protect their family.
'But you have both murdered your own grandfather,
and you have done so in a horrific manner showing him no mercy.'
Mr Peters had lived at his home for 35 years, many
of them with his wife who had died seven years earlier, the court
heard.
He treated Edwards and Sanderson, who both had
convictions for violence, almost as if they were his own sons.
But he was forced to complain numerous times to
police and social services about the pair.
In the month before he was killed, the pensioner
twice contacted police about rows with Edwards, who had told him: 'I'm
going to smash you.'
In April he made a statement saying: 'I do not want
Wayne living with me, this could escalate and God knows what could
happen to me.'
Sources at Wandsworth Council said social services
had 'bent over backwards to try and help' Mr Peters, but he repeatedly
turned down the offer of being re-housed and refused to press charges
against his tormentors.
Grandsons murdered Battersea pensioner Paul
Peters for sake of gratuitous violence
Wandsworth.co.uk
December 1, 2009
A frail pensioner was battered to death by his
grandsons just days after he warned police he feared for his life, an
Old Bailey jury was told today.
Paul Peters, 76, suffered months of abuse before
being murdered by Wayne Edwards, 33, and Anton Sanderson, 24, it is
claimed.
He had made a series of complaints to both police
and Wandsworth social services about Edwards beating him and
threatening to throw him down the stairs.
Four days before his death, Mr Peters, who used a
walking stick to get around, made a witness statement saying: “This
could escalate and God knows what could happen to me.”
Mr Edwards was arrested but was released the same
day because of “weak evidence”, the court was told.
On the evening May 2 this year Mr Peters was hit
with fists, feet, bottles and pieces of furniture at his flat in
Francis Chichester Way, Battersea, the Old Bailey jury was told.
Prosecutor Edward Brown told the court: “It was not
for the purpose of robbery that he was killed, there was no burglary,
it was not accidental.
“It seems his killing was for no other reason than
to satisfy the need of each of these two defendants for gratuitous
violence to be meted out on an elderly and frail man.
“They repaid his hospitality by setting about him
in a merciless and prolonged attack that was fuelled by drink and left
Paul Peters dead.”
Mr Peters suffered 33 rib fractures and was left
half naked on his kitchen floor.
Mr Edwards' girlfriend Lee Beddoe, 34, then helped
the two men clean up the murder scene by disposing of evidence, the
court was told.
That same night, Mr Edwards and Mr Sanderson
wrecked a local restaurant, Noor Tandoori, causing £17,000 of damage
in “an act of unprovoked vandalism”, the court heard.
Mr Peters had brought up his grandson Wayne
Edwards, who called him “Dad”, and allowed him to stay at the flat.
Mr Edwards was known as a “menace”, playing loud
music and spitting on neighbour's windows, the court heard.
Witnesses claim that two years before the murder
they heard Mr Peters begging to be let out of a cupboard.
Mr Peters had been allocated a social worker and
had made a series of complaints to both her and police about threats
and assaults, the court heard.
Four days before his death, on April 28, Mr Peters
made a full witness statement and told officers: “I do not want Wayne
living with me. This could escalate and God knows what could happen to
me.”
However Mr Edwards was released and he was back in
Mr Peters’ flat by May 1, despite the locks being changed, the court
heard.
Neighbours later heard Mr Edwards telling his
grandfather: “I'm the man in the house”, the court was told.
After their arrest for murder Mr Edwards claimed
that he was asleep at the time of the killing and Sanderson made no
comment, the prosecutor said.
Mr Edwards, of Kennard House, Francis Chichester
Way, Battersea; and Mr Sanderson, of Latymer Way, Enfield, north
London, both deny murder.
Ms Beddoe, of Elsley Road, Battersea, denies
assisting an offender by removing evidence with intent to impede the
apprehension of Edwards and Sanderson.
