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Three guilty of armed raid murder | Three guilty of armed raid murder |
(40 minutes later) | |
Three men have been found guilty of murdering a sub-postmaster's son during an armed raid in Worcestershire. | Three men have been found guilty of murdering a sub-postmaster's son during an armed raid in Worcestershire. |
Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, was killed at Fairfield Post Office on 9 January, Birmingham Crown Court heard. | Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, was killed at Fairfield Post Office on 9 January, Birmingham Crown Court heard. |
Anselm Ribera, 34, and Christopher Morrissey, 32, both from Birmingham, and Declan Morrissey, 34, of Solihull, were found guilty of murder. | Anselm Ribera, 34, and Christopher Morrissey, 32, both from Birmingham, and Declan Morrissey, 34, of Solihull, were found guilty of murder. |
They were also convicted of attempting to murder his father Ken. Adrian Snape, 25, was cleared of both charges. | They were also convicted of attempting to murder his father Ken. Adrian Snape, 25, was cleared of both charges. |
Craig Hodson-Walker was shot through the heart as he tried to fight off the masked raiders who had broken into the family's post office and general store. | Craig Hodson-Walker was shot through the heart as he tried to fight off the masked raiders who had broken into the family's post office and general store. |
'Gaping hole' | |
His fiancee, Lisa Bundy, 26, read a victim impact statement in court in which she said: "It was as if my whole world had collapsed and strangely enough, in hindsight, it has. | |
"Every day I feel lonely, I have now lost the one person I felt closest to and the one person I need to hold my hand and tell me everything would be ok. | |
"It has left a huge gaping hole in my life." | |
The gang targeted the safe but the time lock could not be opened Villagers rally after murder | |
During the 10-week trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of the moment he was shot dead as he wielded a cricket bat in an attempt to defend his parents. | During the 10-week trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of the moment he was shot dead as he wielded a cricket bat in an attempt to defend his parents. |
His father Ken Hodson-Walker, 57, was also shot in his left shin. | |
Snape, of Camelot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and admitted he was the getaway driver. | Snape, of Camelot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and admitted he was the getaway driver. |
After he was cleared of murder, he leapt up in the dock and shouted obscenities. | After he was cleared of murder, he leapt up in the dock and shouted obscenities. |
He was removed by security staff while the jurors, some of whom were visibly upset by his outburst, were told to leave the court. | He was removed by security staff while the jurors, some of whom were visibly upset by his outburst, were told to leave the court. |
Ribera of Topfield House, Druids Heath, Christopher Morrissey, of Elmay Road, Sheldon, and his brother Declan Morrissey, of Shirley Park Road, were also convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and attempted robbery. | |
Prosecutor Timothy Raggatt QC had told the court the gang were a "close knit group" who had struck at the store at 0820 GMT on 9 January. | |
'Ruthless' crime | |
Ribera had an automatic pistol which he cocked seconds before entering the shop, the court heard. | |
The Morrissey brothers shared a sledgehammer as they stormed the village store and demanded money and keys from Ken Hodson-Walker who was behind the counter. | |
Mr Raggatt had told the court: "The crime was ruthlessly carried out and carried out with great determination." | |
However, he told the jury the raid was "in vain" because the safe, which contained about £20,000, was on time lock and could not be opened before 0900 GMT. | |
Craig's mother Judith told the court how she tried to fight off the raiders with a curtain pole and attempted to save her son as he lay dying on the floor. | |
All four defendants will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. |