A man who viciously murdered his own grandfather by punching and stamping on him before attempting to behead him told his mother only days before the attack that he 'felt better when he killed things'. Benjamin Dunlop, 27 took the life of Ronald Dunlop on December 1 2021, one day after the pensioner celebrated his 75th birthday, Leicester Mercury reports.
Leicester Crown Court heard yesterday that Dunlop had a long history of attacking his family members and that he had previously confessed to his mother, Emma Dunlop that he enjoyed killing animals. Ronald Dunlop had taken in his violent grandson after a hostel had thrown him out for vandalism and making vicious threats about killing the manager's cat.
Dunlop lived with his grandad in his home in Hart Drive, Measham near Coalville but Ronald had previously been forced to flee his property and sleep in his car after he was threatened by his grandson during some violent outbursts. The defendant who also has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems claimed grandad had sexually abused him in the past and that was why he murdered him.
He later admitted that these claims were a lie and he had only said it to help his defence. During his sentencing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC heard that Dunlop had been suffering from mental health issues and had been seen by experts from as young as three years old.
Vanessa Marshall KC, prosecuting, told the court that Dunlop was taken in by his grandfather shortly after this because his mother was not fit to care for him and he was later diagnosed with having either schizophrenia or a personality disorder. Throughout his teenage years, Dunlop claimed he was communicating with demons and when he was 18-years-old he attacked his mother and set her hair on fire.
Dunlop had also previously kicked his mum in the head and attempted to force tablets down her throat while she was gagged. He also tried to strangle the family's cat and was subsequently jailed for 16 months for his violent behaviour.
He was sent back to prison in March 2020 for battery of an emergency worker and criminal damage and was jailed for a third time in February 2021 for abusive behaviour. After he served his sentence, he found himself homeless and he ended up staying in hostels.
He was evicted from a hostel in Leicester in November 2021 for vandalism and threatening to kill the manager's cat. His mother had reluctantly taken him back into her home but the same day he got drunk and led his mother to a graveyard as he carried a spade and told her he wanted to dig up a corpse.
It was after this incident, that he moved into his grandfather's bungalow even though he was very wary about having him stay with him. Ms Marshall said: "At times, Ronald Dunlop found it very hard to cope and would drive away from his property and sleep in his car just to feel safe."
On the day of the murder, Ronald Dunlop's car was not running. Ms Marshall continued: "Most of the problems were caused by substance abuse that caused psychotic thought processes."
On the day of the murder on December 1 2021, Dunlop had reportedly been behaving well and was given £10 by his grandad to go buy bread and milk from the local Tesco Express. However, he spent the money on eight cans of lager and drank them all while sitting in Measham village.
He also picked up his drug prescription of Pregabalin which should not be mixed with alcohol and overdosed by taking two weeks worth in one go. He arrived home at around 2:30pm and informed Ronald of the overdose who phoned his mother to make a decision about whether or not to call an ambulance.
Dunlop told him not to but Emma Dunlop later phoned the emergency services. Some time between then and 4:30pm, Dunlop murdered his grandfather by violently assaulting him until he was down on the ground and jamming his fingers down his throat before stamping and jumping on his chest. His actions resulted in Ronald suffering massive internal organ damage.
He then attempted to remove his grandfather's head using a small hack saw and left a long laceration along the back of his neck. He also suffocated the neighbour's cat which had wandered into the house before walking back to Tesco and buying two bottles of Lambrini to drink.
When he arrived back at the property, he was met with two paramedics who spoke with Dunlop and recorded their conversation on a bodycam where Dunlop confessed to killing his grandad. The court was shown the video where Dunlop can be heard saying: "I snapped. We had a struggle then he died. Then he was dead. I'd put fingers in his mouth.
"I didn't know it would kill him. It was his birthday yesterday. I didn't mean it." During the conversation, Dunlop apologised and repeatedly asked if his grandad was dead.
When police arrived at 5:15pm, Dunlop cried as he told them he had not intentionally killed either his grandfather or the cat. He requested to be sectioned and was taken to a hospital in Burton upon Trent but on the way there he told police officers: "It's not murder because he sexually abused me."
However, Ms Marshall told the court that Dunlop later admitted that was all a lie. She said: "He admitted he made that up because he thought that might help his defence." A post mortem examination found that Ronald's lungs were badly damaged and his rib cage had been smashed in by someone jumping on the body along with the physical bruising and saw cuts the back of his neck.
Dunlop told police the attack happened when his grandad was planning to contact 999 regarding the overdose. He said: "I lost it, threw the phone out of his hand.
"He put his fist up to me and I hit him with my left fist. Grandad fell to the floor. He sounded scared. I hit him two to three times to the back of his head and then I blacked out."
In an attempt to diminish his responsibility, he claimed that he had kicked his grandad's chest in to resusciate him and had accidentally killed him. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder but psychiatrists and psychologists rejected his idea, and in November last year he confessed to murder.
The court heard victim impact statements from Ronald Dunlop's devastated daughters who described their father as a 'kind and gentle' man. One daughter said she had shielded her children from the brutal truth behind how their grandfather had died and told them he passed peacefully in his sleep.
She described how Dunlop had 'terrorised' her father for years before finally killing him but Ronald had never given up on his grandson. She said: "He loved Ben and only ever helped him."
The defendants mother said: "If Ben had got treatment when we asked for it, this would not have happened. Ben has mental health problems. I still love him and I hope he is given treatment now, for Grandad's sake."
Judge Spencer told Dunlop: "You can turn instantly from being apparently amiable to being very violent indeed." He said he took Dunlop's mental health issues into consideration but concluded the murder was not involuntary.
He told Dunlop he had made a "voluntary choice to overdose with prescription medication and to drink to excess on top". Dunlop was subsequently handed a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years before he can be considered for parole.
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