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| Peter Wrighton murder: Ex-soldier jailed for 28 years | Peter Wrighton murder: Ex-soldier jailed for 28 years |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An ex-soldier who killed a vulnerable 83-year-old dog walker in a "savage" attack has been jailed for at least 28 years. | An ex-soldier who killed a vulnerable 83-year-old dog walker in a "savage" attack has been jailed for at least 28 years. |
| Alexander Palmer, 24, attacked Peter Wrighton from behind, stabbing him 45 times before dumping his body under brambles in Norfolk last August. | Alexander Palmer, 24, attacked Peter Wrighton from behind, stabbing him 45 times before dumping his body under brambles in Norfolk last August. |
| Police initially concluded Mr Wrighton had been killed by an animal due to the severity of his injuries. | Police initially concluded Mr Wrighton had been killed by an animal due to the severity of his injuries. |
| Palmer, who had denied murder, was given a life sentence. | Palmer, who had denied murder, was given a life sentence. |
| Sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court, Mr Justice Goose said: "Your offence was substantially aggravated in its seriousness, firstly by the fact that there was a significant degree of planning and of pre-meditation for this murder. | Sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court, Mr Justice Goose said: "Your offence was substantially aggravated in its seriousness, firstly by the fact that there was a significant degree of planning and of pre-meditation for this murder. |
| 'Dangerous individual' | 'Dangerous individual' |
| "Secondly the victim was particularly vulnerable, being aged 83 and alone. Thirdly by the extent of the savage violence you used to kill him. | "Secondly the victim was particularly vulnerable, being aged 83 and alone. Thirdly by the extent of the savage violence you used to kill him. |
| "You took a knife and drove to the scene for the sole purpose of murder." | "You took a knife and drove to the scene for the sole purpose of murder." |
| The judge added: "You attacked the deceased for no other reason than he was walking his dogs. At the age of 83 and slightly-built he was no match for the violence of your attack." | The judge added: "You attacked the deceased for no other reason than he was walking his dogs. At the age of 83 and slightly-built he was no match for the violence of your attack." |
| Mr Wrighton's children, Andrew Wrighton and Carol Todd, watched from the public gallery as Palmer was taken down to the cells. | |
| Palmer's parents were also in court as he repeatedly mouthed the words "I love you" towards them before he was told his minimum term. | |
| David Spens QC, defending, said: "He was suffering from a mental disorder at the time. There is plenty of evidence that he was psychotic. | |
| "The assault on him by a fellow trainee commander back in 2014 appears to have precipitated his mental disorder. There was not any evidence of any aggressive conduct previously." | |
| Although Palmer is now taking prescribed anti-psychotic medication, he was not taking any at the time of the killing, Mr Spens added. | |
| In a statement given after the guilty verdict on Wednesday, Ms Todd said her family had been failed by mental health professionals. | |
| She said: "The revelations of the evidence relating to the mental health of Alexander Palmer have shocked, astounded and angered us. | |
| "We feel this should not have happened and mental health professionals failed him, his family and our family." | |
| Det Supt Marina Ericson described Palmer, of Freesia Way, Cringleford, as a "dangerous individual". | Det Supt Marina Ericson described Palmer, of Freesia Way, Cringleford, as a "dangerous individual". |
| Ms Ericson, who led the inquiry, said Palmer was "callous and extremely calculated in his approach to Peter's death". | |
| "Officers first on the scene described the incident as an animal attack and I think that description is still accurate," she said. | |
| "Palmer is a dangerous individual who was truly animalistic in his actions." |