Police have released images of two Nottinghamshire brothers who shattered a pensioner's skull and left him to die. Matthew and Luke Roe killed 85-year-old Henry Thwaites, who was friends with their mother, after getting him to drive them to a remote location on July 23, 2022.
Nottingham Crown Court heard they murdered him in Lime Tree Avenue, Worksop, after learning he had inherited £34,000. They also believed he had sexually abused someone they knew.
Jurors were told Mr Thwaites had offered to buy a car for the brothers and believed he was driving them to see a Mercedes on the night they killed him. He was taken out of his Fiat Punto at around 10.40pm and beaten to death in what was described as a “brutal” and “premeditated” attack.
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The brothers then took his bank card and used it at a number of cash machines, as they knew the correct pin. Prosecutors suggested they may have obtained the pin by torturing Mr Thwaites, a convicted paedophile, during the “sustained and prolonged” attack.
Mr Thwaites’ body was found under a metal fence by a member of the public the next morning. He had suffered 26 head injuries including skull fractures. Matthew, aged 25, and Luke, 34, were arrested after police found them driving Mr Thwaites’ car less than an hour after he was reported missing.
Mr Thwaites’ bank card was found in their possession and forensic analysis found spots of Mr Thwaites’ blood on their clothing. Detectives also recovered CCTV that captured Matthew and Luke boasting about the murder.
The court further heard the brothers loathed Mr Thwaites after he served two prison terms for sexual offences against boys under 16. Luke, of Potter Street, Worksop, and Matthew, of Franklin Road, Jacksdale, were convicted of murder on May 26 following a nine-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
Matthew was also found guilty of four counts of fraud by false representation in relation to Mr Thwaites's bank card, while the jury found Luke guilty of one count of fraud by false representation. Luke was also found guilty of criminal damage after damaging a car windscreen using an unopened beer can.
After the murder, the brothers travelled to Abby Dixon's address in Watson Road, Worksop, where she helped them dispose of clothes in a waste bin. The jury found the 27-year-old, who was in a sexual relationship with Luke, guilty of two counts of assisting an offender and she will be sentenced on June 12.
The two brothers appeared at Nottingham Crown Court today (June 5) and both were handed life sentences. Luke Roe was told he will serve a minimum of 25 years in prison, while his younger brother Matthew will serve a minimum of 24 years.
Judge Nirmal Shant KC said: “This was a pre-planned, joint attack by both of you in which each of you played a part. After the killing you drove away, leaving (Mr Thwaites) either dying or dead on the ground.
“You used a fearsome weapon upon the deceased. It was an implement that was never found but it was heavy enough to shatter his skull. This was a vicious, violent attack.”
Detective Inspector Kaz Smithson, who led the investigation, welcomed today’s sentencing. She said: “This was a brutal and cowardly assault on a frail and vulnerable 85-year-old man.
“The murder was premeditated and callous, with Matthew and Luke Roe subjecting Mr Thwaites to a horrific death for their own selfish gain. Despite overwhelming evidence, neither brother had the courage to accept responsibility for their sadistic and vile actions, forcing a jury to sit though nine weeks of distressing evidence.
“Matthew claimed he was too drunk to remember the night in question and I am pleased jurors saw through his lies. Luke wasn’t even brave enough to go in the witness box. They have shown no remorse whatsoever and our communities are undoubtedly safer with them behind bars.”
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