Two Jailed Over 'Ferocious' Murder Plot

A 22-year-old man has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years for arranging the "contract killing" of a mother-of-five as she tended her horses in the New Forest.

Supermarket worker Pennie Davis, 47, was found dead by her husband on 2 September in a field at Leygreen Farm in Beaulieu, Hampshire.

She had suffered 13 stab wounds caused by 10 individual strikes in what the judge described as a "brutal and ferocious" attack.

Justin Robertson, 36, was found guilty of murder following a six-week trial at Winchester Crown Court. He was given a life sentence and will serve a minimum of 32 years before he is eligible for release.

Robertson agreed to kill Mrs Davis for Benjamin Carr, 22, the son of Mrs Davis' ex-lover, to stop her telling police that he had allegedly sexually assaulted someone when he was 14.

Carr, of Southampton, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder and was jailed for life. He will serve a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Co-defendant Samantha Maclean, 28, of Hythe, was found not guilty of the same charge.

Prosecutor Richard Smith QC said Carr harboured a "lasting hate and anger" towards Mrs Davis after she made a complaint to police about the sexual assault allegations.

Police took no further action over the complaint, but Mr Smith said Carr was left with a "lasting sense of animosity, hatred, towards Pennie Davis" which did not "wear off".

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Popplewell described the murder as a "contract killing".

He said Robertson was a "career criminal" with a string of convictions for theft and burglary. Carr persuaded him to kill Mrs Davis for £1,500.

He said: "Ben Carr told Justin Robertson that she was a paedophile, a nonce in Justin Robertson's vocabulary, which Ben Carr knew would push a button with Justin Robertson because he hated nonces with a passion.

"In their twisted minds, this was a justification for the killing.

"The stabbing was brutal and ferocious, causing no doubt terror and physical suffering before she died."

The court heard Mrs Davis is said to have repeated the allegations of sexual assault in the month before her death, warning Tim Carr's new partner that one of his son's alleged victims planned to make a statement to police.

Mrs Davis's family released a statement after the guilty verdicts.

It said: "The people responsible for our mum's brutal murder have been convicted but we cannot celebrate.

"It is not them, but us, Pennie's family, who have been given the real life sentence. The life of someone precious to us as a mother, daughter, wife and

sister has gone and can't be replaced."

Robertson was linked to the murder scene after he dropped the keys to Maclean's car in the field. Analysis of phone records and geo-location technology showed he had carried out reconnaissance missions before the killing.

Robertson's girlfriend, Lian Doyle, 24, had earlier pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after she disposed of his shoes, it can now be reported.