Ex-soldier convicted of murdering elderly dog walker, 83, he had never met

The daughter of an elderly dog-walker who was murdered by a complete stranger says her family, and the attacker, were let down by mental health professionals.

Peter Wrighton, 83, was killed on August 5 last year by ex-paratrooper 24-year-old Alexander Palmer, who previously told doctors he disliked dog-walkers because he felt they treated him as nothing.

Mr Wrighton was walking his two dogs, a mongrel called Gemma and a Scarteen Harrier named Dylan, in woodland known as The Heath near East Harling in Norfolk when he was attacked.

While serving in the Army, Palmer had been injured in an assault in which he was the victim and that seemed to trigger problems which required mental health professionals.

A psychologist who treated Palmer at RAF Marham read press reports and told officers she thought he could be someone worth speaking to in the investigation.

In a statement read outside court, Mr Wrighton’s daughter, Carol Todd, said: ‘My dad, Peter Wrighton, was viciously attacked while walking his dogs. He was quite simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

‘The shock of it has been compounded by the fact he was such a lovely, gentle person who people always warmed to.’

Despite thanking the police and locals for their help, Mrs Todd said the family were left angry that the murder was allowed to happen.

She continued: ‘The revelations of the evidence relating to the mental health of Alexander Palmer have shocked, astounded and angered us.

‘Evidently an intelligent person, he was able to take himself off medication and get himself discharged from care.

‘We feel this should not have happened and mental health professionals failed him, his family and our family.

‘My mum, brother, myself and our children not only feel grief but anger, as we believe this crime could have been prevented.’

Mr Wrighton’s son, Andrew, said: ‘Our mum has been knocked for six, it has really taken the wind out of her sails.’

Mr Justice Goose adjourned sentencing until Thursday and said: ‘It is inevitable the defendant will receive a sentence of life imprisonment. It will be up to me as to the minimum term he will have to serve.’

Palmer showed no emotion after a jury at Nottingham Crown Court returned a unanimous verdict after just 49 minutes, he mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to his family as the judge sent him down to the cells.

Speaking after the case, Detective Superintendent Marina Ericson, of Norfolk Police, said: ‘We have heard that, in February 2014, he (Palmer) was assaulted whilst in the Army.

‘Unfortunately, we believe that had a catastrophic effect on his mental health. He sustained serious injuries resulting from that and we have heard in court how his mental health had deteriorated since that time.

‘We know that his colleagues who were out with him at the time assaulted him.’