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Man found guilty of murdering passenger on Surrey train Man found guilty of murdering passenger on Surrey train
(about 2 hours later)
A man who stabbed an IT consultant 18 times after an argument over aisle blocking on a Surrey train has been found guilty of murder. A train passenger who stabbed a father 18 times while metres away from his teenage son after a heated argument has been found guilty of murder.
Darren Pencille, 36, launched an “unrelenting” and “savage” attack on Lee Pomeroy, 51, after a heated argument in front of the victim’s 14-year-old son. Darren Pencille, 36, repeatedly stabbed 51-year-old Lee Pomeroy in front of the victim’s 14-year-old son.
Other travellers on the Guildford to London service in January said they were horrified when Pencille produced a knife and repeatedly stabbed the unarmed man. The “unrelenting” and “savage” attack, which lasted 27 seconds, was captured on CCTV and witnessed by other travellers on the Guildford to London service.
The defendant, who declined to give evidence at his Old Bailey trial, had admitted having a knife but denied murder, claiming he had acted in self defence against the victim. Pencille and Pomeroy were involved in an argument over a blocked aisle on the train on 4 January.
However, jurors heard how Pencille had a history of violence, having stabbed a flatmate in the neck over a minor disagreement in 2010 and threatening to kill a staff member at a mental health hostel in June last year. The jury deliberated for more than 19 hours before finding Pencille, of no fixed abode, guilty of murder. Pencille, who declined to give evidence at his Old Bailey trial, admitted to having a knife, but denied murder and claimed to have acted in self defence.
His girlfriend, Chelsea Mitchell, 28, of Farnham, Surrey, was found guilty by a majority of 11-1 of helping him evade police after the attack. A jury deliberated for 19 and a half hours to find Pencille, who is unemployed and of no fixed abode, guilty of murder.
After the conviction, DCI Sam Blackburn, of the British Transport Police, described Pencille as “devious and dangerous”. Pencille’s girlfriend, Chelsea Mitchell, 28, of Farnham, Surrey, was found guilty of helping him evade police after the attack.
“Quite clearly with his previous convictions, where he also stabbed another man in the neck, and his propensity for carrying knives, he showed his dangerous, aggressive nature and that he wasn’t afraid to use that knife on that train on 4 January,” Blackburn said. Jurors were told Pencille had a history of violence, having previously stabbed a flatmate in the neck over a minor disagreement in 2010 and had threatened to kill a staff member at a mental health hostel in June last year.
Pomeroy had boarded the train at London Road, Guildford, for a day out in London with his son before his 52nd birthday. The pair got on the same coach as Pencille and made their way down the aisle, the court heard. Pencille had been seen by psychiatrists since 2004 but had not taken any anti-psychotic medication at the time of the attack, the court heard.
Jurors heard they may have been “blocking” Pencille’s way, prompting the response: “Ignorance is bliss.” The 36-year-old was described as “devious and dangerous” by British Transport Police Det Ch Insp Sam Blackburn, who was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene.
An argument erupted, with Pencille swearing at Pomeroy and calling him a “pussy”. Pencille shouted: “You touch me, you touch me and you see what happens at the next stop.” He said: “His conviction in 2010 was almost like a mirror, apart from it not being on a train, where he did have an argument with another man and then stabbed him in exactly the same place – in the neck, causing a minor injury that time to the artery of the neck, not too dissimilar to our victim Lee.”
Pomeroy was said to have demanded an apology, saying: “You should not have humiliated me in front of my kid.” At one point, Pencille was heard to say on his mobile phone: “I’m going to kill this man,” the court heard. Pomeroy, an IT consultant, had boarded the train at London Road, Guildford, just after 1pm on Friday 4 January for a day out in London with his teenage son. The pair got into the same carriage as Pencille and made their way down the aisle, the court heard.
As Pomeroy remonstrated, Pencille swung the knife and plunged it into his neck, cutting through the jugular vein. Jurors heard the father and son may have been “blocking” Pencille’s way. A heated argument quickly erupted, with Pencille swearing at Pomeroy and calling him a “pussy”. Pencille shouted: “You touch me, you touch me and you see what happens at the next stop.”
The prosecutor Jake Hallam QC had told jurors: “Eyewitnesses saw what they thought was the two men trading punches. They were half right. They saw Lee Pomeroy punching the first defendant, defending himself, having been stabbed in the neck by him. Pomeroy demanded an apology in response, saying: “You should not have humiliated me in front of my kid.” At one point, Pencille was heard to say on his mobile phone: “I’m going to kill this man”, the court heard.
“But the first defendant wasn’t punching back, he was stabbing. Again and again and again.” Prosecutor Jake Hallam QC had told jurors: “Eyewitnesses saw what they thought was the two men trading punches. They were half right … They saw Lee Pomeroy punching the first defendant, defending himself, having been stabbed in the neck by him.
Pencille got off at the next station, leaving Pomeroy fatally injured with 18 knife wounds to his neck, torso, thigh and arm. Mitchell picked up the defendant and bought hair clippers and razors for him to change his appearance, jurors heard. “But the first defendant wasn’t punching back, he was stabbing. Again, and again, and again.”
Jurors were told Pencille, who has paranoid schizophrenia, had been seen by psychiatrists since 2004 but had not taken any anti-psychotic medication at the time of the attack. Pomeroy’s teenage son had witnessed the entire attack. “I think it’s fair to say it’s had a dramatic and traumatic effect on him and I do hope the verdict that he’s received today will start that closure process for him and his family,” Blackburn said.
His mother, Ingrid Robertson, told jurors: “He always thought people were looking at him or wanted to do something to him.” Pencille got off at the next station and was picked up by Mitchell, who bought the defendant hair clippers and razors for him to change his appearance, jurors heard.
After the earlier incidents of violence, Pencille had pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm in February 2010 and common assault in June 2018. British Transport Police released body-worn camera footage showing the moment armed police raided Mitchell’s flat in Farnham, Surrey, in the early hours of 5 January.
Last month, while Pencille was in jail awaiting trial, Mitchell sent him a Father’s Day card in the name of their stillborn son, in breach of her bail conditions. In the video, Pencille is ordered to back towards the entrance with his hands on his head before he is handcuffed by officers and taken into a waiting police van. Pencille can be heard saying “yes sir, yes sir” and “please, I’m not going to do nothing, please” before asking: “What’s this about, sir?”
In the note, she told him: “I miss you so much, everything is falling apart. Losing everyone I love and all I want is my family back.”
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Knife crime
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