Sickening video footage has shown the disturbing moment a teen killer purchased petrol to burn a Scots dad’s body after murdering him with a hammer.
Jack Crawley, 20, purchased the flammable liquid at a garage in Cumbria after he murdered 56-year-old Paul Taylor in October last year. The then 19-year-old met up with Mr Taylor for arranged sex on the outskirts of Carlisle before he launched the hammer attack on the ex-Army man, causing multiple fatal blows to his body.
After his death, Crawley then attempted to dispose of the dad-of-two’s remains by burning his body and burying it at Finglandrigg Wood, near Carlisle. CCTV footage shows Crawley purchasing a canister and filing it up with petrol from a garage in the moments after Mr Taylor’s brutal murder.
The father was discovered in the remote woodland by police in May after he had been missing for seven months. He was found to have suffered at least 10 catastrophic blows to his skull, which caused it to “completely smash in”.
Mr Taylor’s skeletal remains were also found to be devoid of any internal organs and soft tissue. His corpse had been brutally burned and then dragged into a shallow hollow by Crawley, who used branches and sticks to hide them from view.
Following his arrest by police, fright masks, rope, duct tape and cable ties were found in the bedroom of Crawley’s Sheehan Crescent home in Carlisle. Stashed under decking was a bottle of popper containing Mr Taylor’s DNA, which was also found on his blood-stained car.
Images released by Cumbria Police also show a knife and a bottle of aphrodisiac drug pentyl found under the decking at Crawley’s home. He was found guilty of Mr Taylor’s murder at Carlisle Crown Court on Monday.
Crawley admitted manslaughter and denied murder but was convicted, unanimously, by the jury of six men and six women. The former hospital security guard worker is facing a life prison term for Mr Taylor’s murder and for trying to kill another man with a similar weapon.
As the verdicts were announced, Crawley showed no emotion in the court dock. Sentencing is due to take place later this week.
Speaking after the verdict, Mr Taylor’s family said their lives had been “torn apart” following his death.
In a statement released through Cumbria Police, they said: “Our lives and world were completely torn apart on October 18, 2024 with the murder of Paul. To us he was a husband and a dad, gentle and loving. For many years Paul worked to protect his country giving up time being a husband and father, now was the time for us to be that family unit and we grieve the loss of that and of our future.
“Losing Paul in these circumstances and the torment and hurt this has caused has been horrendous and indescribable. Paul will be dearly missed and he will remain in our thoughts forever.”
Senior Investigation Officer, Ian Hussey, said: “I would like to pay tribute to Paul’s family, they have remained dignified throughout the course of the investigation and our thoughts remain with them all. No outcome at court will ever serve as comfort to Paul’s family and friends, but I do hope that the verdict today will offer a small amount of closure for them knowing that Crawley has been brought to justice.”
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