A teen sex killer who bludgeoned a Scots dad to death has been ordered to serve almost four decades behind bars.
Jack Crawley, now 20, was handed a mandatory life term on Wednesday. Jurors had convicted him of both the murder of married dad-of-two Mr Taylor, and attempted murder of a second man also aged in his 50s just 79 days later.
Mr Justice Goose ruled that Crawley — a former hospital security guard and leisure centre lifeguard — must spend a minimum of 37 years in jail before being considered for release.
Mr Taylor, 56, of Annan, had his head “completely smashed in” by hammer-wielding Crawley after they met for a late night sex hook-up in Carlisle last October. They earlier chatted on gay dating app Grindr. Jurors heard the Army veteran and hospital catering manager desperately tried to defend himself from the fatal attack on October 18, 2023.
Crawley hauled Mr Taylor’s body into the boot of his own car and drove to a wildlife watcher’s woodland haven near the city where he torched and hid the corpse. He later cleaned the car and tried to sell it for £2,000.
For nearly seven months, Mr Taylor’s traumatised family agonised over his whereabouts until Crawley led detectives to the skeletal remains in May.
As Crawley was caged for his murder at Carlisle Crown Court, a moving statement from Mr Taylor’s heartbroken wife, Maria, told how her family’s lives and world had been “completely torn apart”.
“To his friends and family, Paul was there for them whenever they needed a true and loyal friend,” she stated.
“Paul would do anything for the kids — from lifts to Edinburgh for Dom or lifts on nights out for Beth and her friends. We had plans for growing old together, travelling Scotland and hopefully becoming grandparents one day. This has all been taken away by Jack — not only Paul’s life but our hopes and dreams.”
Maria said the murder would affect her personally and professionally for ever. She continued: “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, of our future.
“I will never have the opportunity to hear from Paul regarding his lifestyle choices and I do not judge him; only that we have been robbed of the time to discuss and get answers for both me and the kids. So many questions will forever be unanswered.”
Son Dom said: “Dad won’t be here for the rest of our lives, to be a part of big events like weddings or to meet our children. We will never hear dad’s side of the story and why he felt the need to live his life in such a way.”
Daughter Beth stated: “My dad being taken away from me means that I will never have the opportunity to walk down the aisle with my dad at my wedding. He will never be able to meet our children, and I will never be able to experience him being the grandad that I knew he would’ve been.
“The impact Jack has had on our family will impact us for the rest of our lives. Dad served to defend our country and to have some boy rip that away from us is unforgivable.”
She added: “We all love and miss him dearly. This is a life sentence for us from Jack’s actions and should be a life sentence for him for what he has put us through. He will remain in our thoughts for ever.”
Mr Taylor’s younger sister, Angela Malloy, said he was a fantastic husband, father, brother, son, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. Crawley murdered him in an “unearthly and inhumane way”, she stated, adding: “I believe that Jack is a risk to society and a danger to others.”
Crawley, of Sheehan Crescent, Carlisle, had tried to murder the second man with a hammer near York on January 5 after skipping bail and travelling first to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The man suffered a head wound, was “haunted” by the attack and stated: “I honestly think that if I hadn’t managed to escape I would have ended up dead, just like the other man before me, and this thought continually goes around in my mind.”
Toby Hedworth KC, mitigating, suggested Crawley was living in a fantasy world. “Albeit a very unpleasant fantasy world,” said the barrister. “He has a great deal of growing up to do.”
Mr Justice Goose told Crawley he had used “brutal and exceptionally severe violence” in a “murder for gain” while trying to steal Mr Taylor’s car.
“You are a highly dangerous young man,” the judge concluded. “Your offending has caused unimaginable grief to the family and friends of Paul Taylor, who have listened during this trial in dignified silence to the cruel manner in which you first murdered Mr Taylor, and then destroyed and concealed his body.”
Crawley will remain on prison licence for life.
*Crawley admitted possessing an offensive weapon — the hammer — on January 5, and burglary of a York house and theft of clothing the following day.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.