A man was jailed for 24 years after he murdered his estranged wife's new lover with the help of his son, after discovering him hiding inside a wardrobe. Wayne Peckham, 49, and son Riley Peckham, 23, were caged after being found guilty of the "harrowing and brutal" murder of Matthew Rodwell, 39, at the property in Downham Market, Norfolk.
A court heard that the pair hunted down Mr Rodwell, 39, after forcing their way inside on January 23, 2022. Riley yelled "you're going to die", "here doggy" and "good boy" before finding him in a young boy's wardrobe, reports the Mirror.
Peckham senior, who had seperated from wife Kerry Peckham, gained access to the house Kerry shared with Matthew after their son Riley climbed through a first-floor window. It was then that they hunted Matthew down and beat and strangled him to death in front of Mrs Peckham.
Peckham senior was sentenced to 24 years for murder at Norwich Crown Court, Norfolk, today. His son was sentenced to 18 years. The jury took 10 hours to deliberate before they found them unanimously guilty after a six-week trial. Both had denied murder.
Judge Anthony Bate said: "Wayne had committed targetted vandalism to Matthew's car, stalked him on previous occasions and set fire to a coat Matthew bought for Wayne's youngest son Harvey and posted the video on Facebook.
"Riley took his father's side against Matthew. Their visit [to Matthew's house] was no speculative social call. They suspected Matthew was there with Kerry and decided to do him serious harm.
"This was a brutal and sustained assault on a man in his home and in front of her partner who was herself injured. The attack wasn't spontaneous. The premeditation by Wayne Peckham is significant."
After gaining entry, Riley found Matthew's shoes at the bottom of the stairs , and shouted, "he's here" to his father who was waiting outside. Wayne then let himself in through the front door.
Matthew, a refuse worker and father of two, had called 999 from the wardrobe and told the operator he was afraid of what was about to happen.
Riel Karmy-Jones KC, prosecuting, said Mr Rodwell, from Fincham, Norfolk, was "terrified about being found by Riley and Wayne". She said Mr Rodwell expressed "genuine fear about what was about to take place". After being found he was then beaten and strangled to death at the bottom of the stairs.
Kerry tried to get herself between them to halt the vicious attack but Matthew had 40 "significant" injuries from being kicked, stamped and punched and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kerry said they "thumped and beat the life out of him". Kerry herself was injured as a result. Matthew's cause of death was manual strangulation.
A recording from Matthew's 999 call heard his last word, "sorry" before a "guttural sound" was recorded just seconds later. Police arrived at about 8.05pm and could hear "screaming" from inside. A distraught Kerry Peckham came to the door with the body of Mr Rodwell lying in the hall.
Wayne tried to hide behind a curtain but was detained at the scene, while Riley escaped in handcuffs and was eventually caught a couple of hours later at his step-grandfather's address. Matthew's blood was found on the pair's clothing, with his DNA under their fingernails.
The court heard how Kerry Peckham seperated from Wayne, the father of her three children, in spring 2021, due to his "rough, volatile and controlling" behviour and moved in with Mr Rodwell. Ms Karmy-Jones said Wayne could be "aggressive" after drinking and was a "bad influence" on his son Riley.
The court heard that Wayne had spent the afternoon drinking in a pub before leaving and going to Kerry's house, where they moved a doorbell and CCTV camera. Ms Karmy-Jones said the pair "acted together to settle scores" as a "joint enterprise".
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Chris Burgess, from the Major Investigation Team, said: "This was a harrowing and brutal murder. I know some of the evidence given in court, especially the 999 call, has been difficult to listen to.
"In this call, we hear the final frightening moments of Matthew's life, a life taken by the actions of two men overcome with jealousy and rage, acting like a pack of animals.
"I want to thank the family and friends of Matthew for their patience, support and bravery throughout this investigation and I'm grateful the correct verdict has been reached by the jury in this case. Our thoughts remain with Matthew's family and friends, and we will continue to support them for as long as they need."
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