Death row inmate James Coddington executed for horror 1997 hammer killing of co-worker

The death row inmate found guilty of the 1997 killing of Albert Hale has been executed for his crimes.

James Coddington was put to death in Oklahoma after murdering his friend with a hammer 25 years ago following a row over cocaine.

He received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and was pronounced dead at 10.16am this morning.

The 50-year-old was executed despite a recommendation from the state's Pardon and Parole Board that his life be spared.

Coddington, who was reportedly experiencing drug-induced psychosis at the time, slaughtered his pal after he refused to stump up £42 ($50) to help him feed his habit.

Coddington said Mr Hale was his friend who was trying to help him by refusing to stump up the cash (News9)

The board pleaded his case and said the murder was addiction-driven - and has recommended his removal from death row.

Asking for his sentence to be commuted to life without parole, their appeal was knock backed and he died this morning.

After killing Mr Hale, Coddington committed at least six armed robberies at across Oklahoma.

He was the fifth Oklahoma inmate to be put to death since the state resumed executions last year.

He has been put to death in Oklahoma today after his victim's family demanded the execution goes ahead (News9)

During a five-minute plea for his life at the parole hearing, Coddington said: "I can’t apologise enough for what I did.”

He added: “I’m clean, I know God, I’m not ... I’m not a vicious murderer. But if this ends today with my death sentence, OK.”

Adding that Hale was "one of my friends", he said he was trying to help him through his dark times by not giving him the cash.

"And for that, he lost his life," Coddington added.

Pleas to downgrade his sentence were recently dismissed (News9)

But Mitch Hale, Albert Hale’s son, urged the parole board not to downgrade his sentence and let the execution go forward.

“Our family can put this behind us after 25 years,” Hale, 64, said.

“No one is ever happy that someone’s dying, but he chose this path - he knew what the consequences are, he rolled the dice and lost.”

Oklahoma halted executions in 2015 when prison officials discovered they had received the wrong lethal drug.

It later came to light that the same wrong drug had been used to execute an inmate, and executions in the State were put on hold.