A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of an army veteran. Jack Crawley, 20, from Carlisle, was found guilty of killing 56-year-old Paul Taylor, whose remains were discovered in woodland near Carlisle in May, months after he went missing in October.
During the sentencing at Carlisle Crown Court, Mr. Justice Goose announced that Crawley must serve a minimum of 37 years for his crime, which involved the attempted murder of another man while he was out on bail. The judge characterized Crawley as a “highly dangerous young man” who exhibited “callous cruelty” towards Mr. Taylor.
Crawley’s motive for the murder was described as a “murder for gain,” as he intended to steal Mr. Taylor’s car. The court also heard that Crawley attempted to kill a second man he met via a gay dating app, Grindr, in York.
In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement read in court by Mr. Taylor’s widow, Maria, she expressed the profound devastation caused by her husband’s death, stating, “Our lives and world are completely torn apart. We had plans to grow old together; this has all been taken away from us.”
The jury ultimately took over eight hours to reach their verdict, finding Crawley guilty. Det Supt Ian Hussey of Cumbria Police remarked that Crawley is “behind bars where he rightly belongs,” emphasizing that he had lied about his actions from the beginning, even fabricating a story claiming self-defense.
