A 20-year-old killer who attacked a man with a hammer during a hook-up before burying his body in the woods and trying to sell a car covered in his victim’s blood has been jailed for 27 years.
Jack Crawley made the ‘premeditated and unprovoked’ attack on Paul Taylor, 56, after the pair met on October 18, 2023. They had initially interacted online before agreeing to come face to face in Carlisle.
The cold-blooded killer then buried Mr Taylor’s body in a shallow grave near to a burn site in Finglandrigg Wood before trying to sell his victim’s car. When he was unable to do so, he attempted to drive the car, a blue Vauxhall Corsa, to Appleby- but crashed and fled the scene/
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Police were initially called on the evening Crawley and Mr Taylor met with a report that the 56-year-old was missing from his home address in Annan and hadn’t been seen since the previous evening.
An extensive investigation uncovered CCTV showing that Mr Taylor had travelled into Carlisle in the early hours of that day and never returned home. His car was later found abandoned where Crawley had crashed it in Langwathby on October 19.
He was arrested in November 2023 but denied knowing Mr Taylor, and was eventually released on police bail. But he attempted a similar horrific act in January of this year, where he attempted to murder a second man with a hammer. The victim was rushed to hospital, where his wounds where glued.
The killer was charged with murder on February 15 – but it was not until May 1 when he finally told detectives where he had buried Mr Taylor’s body.
Following the sentencing the judge, The Honourable Mr Justice Goose said that Crawley was a “highly dangerous young man” and that his offending had caused “unimaginable grief”.
Speaking after the sentencing Senior Investigation Officer Detective Superintendent Ian Hussey said: “I am pleased that our investigation has resulted in justice for Paul and his family.
“Paul was the victim of a premediated and calculated attack by Crawley who arrived to meet Paul prepared to commit a serious act of violence.
“Paul’s body was then taken to a remote woodland near Carlisle and hidden in undergrowth with Crawley only finally admitting where he’d concealed Paul’s body several months after he’d been charged with murder.
“From the very start of this, Crawley has lied about his actions – from initially denying even knowing Paul, to later denying he murdered him, instead concocting a story around self-defence.
“Today, Crawley is behind bars where he rightly belongs, and he will now spend a considerable amount of his adult life in prison.
“I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Paul’s family and friends for their loss.
“I can only imagine what they have had to go through over the past year and an I would like to commend them for remaining dignified and composed throughout the whole investigation and trial, despite being forced to hear some shocking and hurtful evidence.
“Again, I would finally like to thank all the officers, staff, prosecuting counsel the Crown Prosecution Service and our Crown Prosecution colleagues whose hard work on these investigations has allowed us to successfully prosecute Crawley for his crimes and get justice for Paul’s loved ones.”
Crawley was also sentenced for attempted murder. For this he received a 15-year sentence, to be served concurrently. He was also sentenced for possession of an offensive weapon and burglary. He received two four-month custodial sentences, to be served concurrently.
