'Body in woods' killer jailed for at least 37 years

A security guard who murdered an army veteran and tried to kill a man he met on the dating app Grindr was jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years.

Jack Crawley, 20, fatally attacked Paul Taylor, 56, with a clawhammer or mallet before concealing his body in woodland near Carlisle, Cumbria.

Mr Taylor disappeared while driving from Scotland to England in October 2023 and his remains were not discovered until May 2024.

Crawley admitted manslaughter, claiming he had acted in self-defence, but was convicted of murder following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court.

He was also convicted of attempting to murder a second man with a hammer after they met through Grindr.

He was out on bail for the killing of Mr Taylor when he attacked the man in York, North Yorkshire, in January 2024.

Crawley, from Carlisle, was sentenced to at least 37 years in prison for the murder. He was also handed a 15-year sentence for the attempted murder, which will run concurrently.

In addition, he also received two four-month custodial sentences to be served concurrently after pleading guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon and burglary.

The judge, Mr Justice Goose, told Crawley he had used "brutal and exceptionally severe violence" in regards to Mr Taylor's murder.

The judge added: "You are a highly dangerous young man."

The judge's sentencing remarks can be read in full at: https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/r-...

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