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20 years for stalker who shot woman dead in front of daughters
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent13 Nov 2009
A jealous stalker who shot a mother dead with a bolt gun in front of her daughters was jailed for life at the Old Bailey today.
John McFarlane, a 40-year-old slaughterman, broke into Mary Griffiths's house with an axe, dragged her from her bed and threw her downstairs as her children screamed in terror.
Ms Griffiths tried to escape but McFarlane forced her to the ground outside her house and pulled the bolt gun's trigger. A neighbour described the murder as “an execution — almost clinical”.
McFarlane, who had accused Ms Griffiths of “ripping out his heart and stamping on it”, also struck the children with the gun.
He had been having psychiatric treatment but was considered not to be a danger, the court heard.
But Ms Griffiths had been so frightened of him she rang the police and asked for advice on the night she was killed. An officer agreed to visit that evening but later changed the appointment to the following morning.
One of the daughters later told police that when her mother was tucking her up in bed last night she feared she might not see her again because of the threat they were living under.
McFarlane, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, had pleaded guilty to murder and sat in the dock today flanked by two male nurses. Sentencing McFarlane to a minimum of 20 years — reflecting his guilty plea and his depressive illness at the time — Mr Justice Bean told him: “Three generations of Mary Griffiths' family have suffered a tragic and devastating loss. Her children have been deprived of a loving and caring mother and her parents had to endure the appalling experience of attending the funeral of their own daughter.”
The victim's family wept as details of the killing emerged in court.
McFarlane had worked part-time at the Newmarket Leisure Centre with Ms Griffiths, a fitness instructor who was living apart from her boyfriend
He wanted a relationship with her but she rejected him, said Stephen Harvey QC, prosecuting. He bombarded her with threatening text messages and she warned him that she would call the police if he did not stop.
On the night of the murder he made a bogus 999 call claiming there was a burglary in progress at the farm where he worked to create a diversion.
He made the call from just outside Bury St Edmunds police station so he could see the officers' reaction. Then he went to Ms Griffiths's home less than a mile away where she lived with her children aged 13, 10 and nine.
After the killing McFarlane sent a text message illustrated with a smiley face saying: “JB (referring to himself) is off on a revenge mission to teach her to stamp on my heart”.
Mr Harvey said it could have been written before the killing but sent afterwards as McFarlane refers to “sparing” the mother but not “the three beautiful children — they will die”.
Reader views (13)
He got Life in prison, not twenty years. Twenty years is the minimum he must do inside the prison before eligible for parole.
- Bernie, essex, 16/11/2009 09:03
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He had been having psychiatric treatment but was considered not to be a danger...where is the psychiatrist ?
- Bemused...., Toulouse, France., 16/11/2009 05:45
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20 years? Is that really enough? The Train Robbers got 30. Surely this man deserves to be in jail till he dies
- Gaz, london, 13/11/2009 16:39
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If this man is a 'Good Boy' inside, the lefty Doo-Gooders will deem him a fit and proper person to be released in 4 or 5 years time. British justice often is an Ass, and recent sentences handed down for murder and serious physical assault often would suggest that some of our so-called Judges have more than a few screws loose.
- Uncle Vanya, East Anglia Area UK, 13/11/2009 16:38
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Mental illness should not be used to mitigate a crime. He should have been put away for life. Stalkers are mentally ill.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 13/11/2009 16:07
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"He had been having psychiatric treatment but was considered not to be a danger." And which halfwit came to this conclusion? Another blunder & yet again, another life lost.
This bloke clearly has a screw loose & should not be released.
- Dom, london, 13/11/2009 16:06
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Four comments ahead of mine, edited out due to (quote) breach of community guidelines (unquote). I dread to think what they had to say. I know what I would like to say. This man was a monster and a good reason to bring back the death penalty. I dread to think what effect this will have had on the children who were forced to watch. And why did that policeman change the appointment? That woman might still be alive but for that. Questions need to be answered here.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 13/11/2009 15:52
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20 years? So, he'll be out by the time he's 60. That's nice. Maybe he could then meet up with this lady's children to reminisce.
Has justice been done? No. Has justice been seen to be done? No. What a farce.
- Mark, Tunbridge Wells, 13/11/2009 15:41
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Typical responce by the police, AGAIN. Sad.
- Kev, London-UK, 13/11/2009 15:40
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EDITED by admin @ 15.21 on November 13 2009
Breach of community guidelines
- Phil Jones, London UK, 13/11/2009 14:27
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EDITED by admin @ 15.22 on November 13 2009
Breach of community guidelines
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 13/11/2009 14:18
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EDITED by admin @ 15.22 on November 13 2009
Breach of community guidelines
- Justin, london, 13/11/2009 14:03
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EDITED by admin @ 15.22 on November 13 2009
Breach of community guidelines
- Roz, France, 13/11/2009 14:03
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