Real Life Crime and Murder #17

[Be More Pacific]

Just wanted to give an update on Joel Eldridge, a case I have talked about before on here.

Joel was from Bexhill and worked as a doorman. He went to Portugal at the beginning of January 2018 to work on a "building project" but he was allegedly unhappy whilst there, as the work wasn't what he expected, and desperate to get home. He went missing six months after arriving in Portugal and was found murdered in woodland in 2019.

In July 2018, in Eastbourne, a woman named Gina Ingles and her son Milo were killed in a house fire - a case I discussed extensively on here. Her then partner, Toby Jarrett, escaped. In 2021, two men were convicted of the double murder and attempted murder of Toby Jarrett - Jacob Barnard, a convicted drug dealer who was serving time in Portugal and had to be transferred to the UK for the trial, and his enforcer Andrew Milne. It was all over a drug debt of £400.

But what really piqued my interest was that, during the trial, it came out that Joel Eldridge had gone to work for none other than Jacob Barnard in Portugal.

Eastbourne fire: Mum and son, 4, 'killed in drugs-debt' house blaze

Gina Ingles and four-year-old Milo Ingles-Bailey died after a row over drugs debts, a court hears.

www.bbc.co.uk

Barnard was subsequently charged with Joel Eldridge's murder in November 2022 and was awaiting extradition. There have been no further updates since then.

Drug dealer who killed mum and child charged with axe murder of Sussex man in Portugal

A drug dealer who is serving life in prison for murdering a mother and her young son over a debt has been charged with the murder of a British…

www.theargus.co.uk

So, I did a little bit of digging around on Facebook (oh, I miss deep diving on social media) and found this public update from Joel's brother:

So, it sounds like Barnard's trial in Portugal is ongoing. I wonder if they found his alleged accomplice Joshua Sherwood Joel's brother does say "hand down sentences" plural so maybe.

I also found this photograph on Joel's Facebook account from 2012. Barnard looks very different in his Facebook photographs, compared to his police mugshot, but I think he's on left, with Joel on the right. Same widow's peak and distinctive nostrils! So, whilst they weren't friends on Facebook, I think they were friends at one point. Just goes to show you things can turn on a dime on the drug world.

Anyway, I'll keep you updated but it will hopefully be another mystery, that has been on my list from the start, solved. I don't think Barnard will be seeing daylight again if he gets convicted in Portugal. They may make him serve whatever sentence he gets there then return him to the UK to finish the rest of his 36 year sentence for the Eastbourne double murder or vice versa. Good. He sounds absolutely ruthless.

 

[Boogs]

Feel like we see a story like this every week. Yet another mother and her partner guilty of killing her child.

Alfie Phillips murder: Mother and partner guilty of killing toddler

Sian Hedges and her ex-partner Jack Benham used "violent discipline" on her son, Alfie Phillips.

www.bbc.co.uk

Horrible pair of cunts

The pandemic was disastrous for child protection. Families who couldn’t adequately parent a child being locked in the house with them 24/7. School and nurseries closing so nobody was able to see the children. Terrified children with no respite from the people who are meant to protect them. In so many of these cases it was just a pressure cooker waiting to explode

 

[WurstHunde]

if anyone does know this case - what do you think about the boyfriend (the killer) getting life without parole?
Gypsy came up with the plot to kill and talked him into doing it. Obviously out of desperation to escape her abusive environment. But it just kinda seems a bit sad that she has got out and he hasn’t been given a lighter sentence.

for what it’s worth, I am fully in support of gypsy being released and not even sure she should have been imprisoned in the first place - though definitely placed somewhere with mandatory intense therapy to deal with her life.
but the guy she met online was also clearly a troubled teen and I just feel he’s been let down by the system by not being able to have access to therapy too, and instead being chucked in jail until he dies.

but I guess the American justice system is as warped as their gun laws so no hope really

Probably not a popular opinion but I think she should have got the same sentence as the boyfriend. Not necessarily life without parole for either of them, but equal punishments. I think she is dangerously manipulative and being abused doesn’t give you a free pass to convince someone else to murder your abuser.

Had she killed her mother herself I would have more sympathy, but like you say I feel the boyfriend’s vulnerability wasn’t taken into account.

 

[The Devils Arse]

I'm an ex copper and there's not a chance in hell I would report a rape.

 

[Tofino]

I find this reasoning outrageous. Because he beat her unconscious so quickly he gets a reduced minimum term because she wouldn’t have felt any pain afterwards? I’m gobsmacked. And furious.

 

[mindyaneb]

I am so sorry that your relative went through that, Mindy. It's never made sense to me to use that method of questioning; if you are burgled the defence does not ask "And do you go shopping a LOT? And do you BUY THINGS?"

Thank you. It was my sister and the prosecution detailed everyone she’d ever slept with. Despite her waking up to her (ex) husband raping her on multiple occasions. And then beating her, raping her and handing himself in to police (he broke his dick raping her so he knew it was over)
She had to have a full examination, 8 hours of police interviews and then her entire sexual history laid out in court.
He got 4 years, was out after just under 3.
She fled the country and is in the other hemisphere now. After a full breakdown following the trial.
You are completely right - what other crime do we blame the victim??!

 

[Eureka]

I’m curious as to why incidents like this are so quickly painted as “far right”. It feels like “far right” is thrown around so carelessly now.

I understand the attacker was an immigrant which has caused a huge amount of anger and unrest… but does that make it a far right incident? I don’t condone it obviously, and I’ve always been left leaning politically (although I feel more and more politically homeless these days), but equally I understand why communities are so quick to anger when it appears that immigrants are quite over-represented when it comes to random acts of murder and violence (whether they are mentally ill or radicalised “lone wolf” type attackers).

.
Of course its far right. The man who carried out the attack has been confirmed to be a foreign national. If he'd been Irish there would not have been any protests. We saw this with the murder of Aisling Murphy, funny we didn't see the same concern about women's safety when Jastine Valdez was murdered by an Irish man. The one thing all these attacks have in common is they are carried out by men but if you say that you are rightfully told it's not fair to judge all men by the actions of a few. Why then is it ok to target all foreign nationals or at least ones who don't look right?

 

[Papparazzo1]

Just seen on the news that Jordan McSweeney has won his appeal to have his sentence reduced.

Absoloute scum, cannot believe that.
---
Zara Aleena's killer

 

[CrimsonCountess]

Going to put this one behind a spoiler and warn that it contains animal abuse in case anyone doesn't want to open it

Spoiler: Contains graphic details

Farmer arrested amid haircut for driving with dog dragging behind car

Police bodycam footage shows cruel Kim Norman Rendall being detained halfway through the trim as his white husky Daisy was bleeding out after the incident in High Littleton, near Bath.

www.dailymail.co.uk

This is so fucked up. He tied his dog to his car, dragged her down the road then put her in his car and drove off. Refused to tell the Police where she was, and had hidden her in a barn. The Police blue lighted her to the vets but she couldn't recover from her injuries and was put down just over a week later. He has been given a suspended sentence and a fine. Banned for 20 years from keeping any animals except for fish and cattle. Can't believe he is still allowed to keep any animals at all! If that's how he treats his dog out in public, how on earth will he be treating his cattle in private

PC Natalie Cosgrove also described Daisy's injuries as 'the worst thing I have ever seen' and it made her 'feel physically sick'. 'I felt shocked, I couldn't sleep and I cried... I hugged my own dog crying in sympathy for Daisy', she told the court previously in a victim person statement. She added that the dog's suffering was 'something that cannot be described' and said she was 'traumatised' when Rendall smirked in his police interview. 'I just felt incredibly sorry for her, that a human let her down so badly. 'This is one of those jobs that will haunt me forever.'

 

[Bread]

Another "man" I'd gladly torture for days on end. Revolting specimen. He got off scot free and his girlfriend is sticking by him. Why on earth? If my boyfriend hurt an an animal in any way I'd castrate him. That story made me so angry. The poor farmer and his family too - they did a good job catching him but what they must have felt learning what he'd done to their calves. £600 and no jail is a joke.

 

[Lynn’ssnazzycardigan]

I think it was the kids and the mum was in the room. From what she said there was a few of them doing balloons. But what I don’t get is how there was just knives laying around?? Wondering if it was like a druggy house. The son ran out the flat and the mum was shouting over the balcony you’ve killed my daughter and went crazy at the son straight away. He was nicked within minutes. It all sounds like it could of been avoided. Hate drugs and all this balloon stuff.
I didn’t know it could make you out of your head like that either.

To be fair, if they thought it was normal or acceptable to all sit around doing drugs together as a family there’s probably underlying issues that will have contributed.

 

[AmeliaPevensie]

What the actual.

Rapists 'could be spared jail as prisons hit breaking point'

Sex offenders and burglars could be let out on bail rather than handed an immediate custodial sentence, according to guidance issued to judges by Lord Edis.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Rape has basically been legalised at this point anyway. It's so upsetting to see how crimes against women are (not) considered seriously.

 

[Be More Pacific]

I find these offences committed by groups fascinating. How do you even figure out that someone would be willing to torture someone with you?

Having followed a number of these kind of trials - I've listed a few examples below - it's really not getting together because you share an interest in torture. It's usually something that develops over time.

There is always a ringleader, a group of followers and there is usually a girl at the heart of it - either it's happening because of her and/or she's right there stoking the fire. The ringleader will normally start it - maybe with a slap or a punch and instead of being horrified, like a normal, decent person, the followers will, over time, join in because they find it amusing and/or they're scared of the ringleader turning on them. There then almost becomes a competition to think up more ways to punish their victim with escalating cruelty, violence and sadism.

The victim is usually vulnerable in some way and desperate to make friends. I've seen it mentioned that Shakira was vulnerable and there was possibly a learning difficulty - this would make sense as to how she became so enmeshed with the people who eventually killed her. I hope this will be explored and covered in the sentencing remarks because I want to understand it.

And it pretty much always involves people who are the absolute dregs of society - uneducated, unemployed bottom feeders with nothing better to do with their time than make someone else's life an absolute misery and get off on it. Drugs and/or alcohol play a big part in their day to days living. They take control of the victim, get access to their money in some way and effectively turn them into a slave.

Michael Gilbert, Luton - learning disability

James "Jimmy" Prout, Percy Main - learning disability

Lee Irving, Newcastle upon Tyne - learning disability

Gemma Hayter, Rugby - learning disability

Steven Hoskin, St Austell - learning disability

Jamie Dack, Southampton - slightly different as he was classed as vulnerable due to being completely out of his depth in the homeless community but it's still horrific torture by a gang which escalated because of a girl

 

[CrimsonCountess]

Breaking news just posted now

Jon Venables' bid for freedom is rejected by Parole Board

The murderer, who was one of two boys jailed for the killing of two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, had his application rejected after officials said they believed he was still dangerous.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Can't say I'm surprised at all, definitely sounds like the right decision. Officials have deemed him still too dangerous to be released

 

[WadieHaddadsChocolates]

I read about this earlier. What a waste of his life (and hers, although that’s her fault). All seemingly needless

I mean, fuck her, she deserves to rot in prison and I doubt she's a good character at all or ever has been ... decent people don't do this stuff even when having a pissyfit at their boyfriend after a skinful. When you drive a car at another human you mean to kill them, there is no other purpose. With a temper and lack of emotional control like that, it was clearly a matter of time before she fucked herself and sadly, someone else. What is chilling is her utter lack of remorse and the weird, beady-eyed, utterly cold and composed look on her in the mugshots. She looks kind of proud? Not upset, not bleary, messy or wankered, but stiff, cold and smug.

Shocking how many people are prepared to do horrific things because of stupid old sexual jealousy. Not just men, but women are generally utterly vicious and revoltingly horrible and nutty when in the grip of it.

Either sex is better off learning, and learning early that if your partner is more interested in another woman/man than you, the answer isn't to have a vicious adult toddler meltdown and start using your fists or whatever weapon, but to walk away and end the relationship abruptly, no take-backs. But some people just love wallowing in the misery and drama and the sense of control they get through falling out with their partner.

 

[50sGirl]

Or another way to look at it, the professionals who carried out the robust plan missed something very very important which allowed him to display “concerning behaviour” towards the public in the first place. That very very important thing being of course that he is a complete psychopath.

I fucking love neutral language as well!! The ”concerning behaviour” Pitchfork was displaying was he was approaching teenage girls, having previously raped and murdered two others and gone to extreme lengths to cover his tracks.

”Concerning behaviour”. Hmmm. Might I suggest that a person currently in the path of a tsunami is about to experience a rise in moisture?

I always say that, if those on the parole board truly believe that the offender is 100% rehabilitated, let them spend a night or two in their home with their family. If they are so confident that the prisoner is safe to be released to the public then surely they’re safe to spend some time alone with their family then? I bet those on the parole board would have a very different opinion of what is considered “safe” if they had to do that!

 

[LouBug19]

Just seen on the news that Jordan McSweeney has won his appeal to have his sentence reduced.

Absoloute scum, cannot believe that.
---
Zara Aleena's killer

Honestly what a bunch of absolute dickheads. I could use so many more words for him. The judges are stupid! He didn't even turn up to his original sentencing nor this one but we will give him reduced him. He also had it off with a prison officer! I'm so angry! Her poor family.

 

[karmadrama]

Yep, shoulda stayed in jail. One down, two more to go.

I bet he made exceptional progress in custody. Wasn't going to get the chance to beat another disabled man to death, was he.

It always confuses me when people get their sentences reduced for ‘good behaviour’. They’ve already committed the ‘bad behaviour’ that’s why they’re in fucking prison in the first place. Making exceptional progress won’t bring their victim back. It’s stupid.

 

[Boogs]

I mean from an outsiders perspective there are some points that could be discussed (the dog being given to her parents, the house being allegedly sold) but her story sadly brings out so many creeps and people obsessed with Nicola ‘giving them a sign’.
If I died in tragic circumstances I definitely wouldn’t be giving Sharon from Teesside a sign.

I don’t think rehoming the dog and selling the house is anything unusual in this situation. This guy has had a massive loss and is probably doing all he can to make life as bearable as possible for their daughters.

 

[Davena94]

I view cannabis exactly how I view alcohol. If someone is smoking everyday then it’s a problem. Same as someone drinking everyday. I have no problem with either as recreational use but they both can and do lead to deeper issues