Lawrence Bierton

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Lawrence Bierton (born 1960) is an English convicted serial killer. [1] In 1996, he was convicted of the double murder of two elderly sisters in Rotherham. In 2023 he was convicted of a third murder he committed while released on licence. [2]

Contents

First crime

On 25 June 1995, 79-year-old Aileen Dudill and her 72-year-old sister Elsie Gregory discovered their gardeners, Lawrence Bierton and Michael Pluck, stealing from them. Bierton and Pluck reacted by bludgeoning and suffocating the sisters to death. [3] [4] Bierton and Pluck then piled the sisters' living room furniture over the bodies and set it all on fire. [5]

Bierton and Pluck were both jailed for life at Sheffield Crown Court in 1996. [6]

Release and reimprisonment

Michael Pluck died in HMP Rye Hill on 13 February 2012 [5] after failed appeals in 2002 and 2010. [7]

Bierton was released from prison on licence in 2017. He was recalled to prison in 2018, but was released on licence again in 2020. [8]

On 9 November 2021, in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, Bierton battered his 73-year-old neighbour Pauline Quinn to death with her own coffee table. [9] The cause of death was traumatic head injuries. [10] His abuse of drug and alcohol was considered by the prosecution to be a contributing factor. [11]

In January 2023, the Probation Service released their review of the case. [12] The local MP for Bassetlaw Brendan Clarke-Smith called for a public inquiry. [13] On 20 December 2023, Bierton received a whole life sentence. [14] [15] The Probation Service apologised to the families for its failings. [16]

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References

  1. Hamilton, Kirsty (8 April 2022). "Lawrence Bierton: Bassetlaw MP calls for independent inquiry after double murderer strikes again in Worksop". Worksop Guardian.
  2. "Killer guilty of third murder will never be released". BBC News. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  3. "Convicted double-killer facing whole life order for third murder to be sentenced". Express & Star. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  4. Cumber, Robert (20 December 2023). "Lawrence Bierton: 'Monster' murdered woman after jail sentence for killing Rotherham sisters". The Star.
  5. 1 2 Jackson, Sam (1 April 2022). "Lawrence Bierton: Worksop man killed elderly sisters in 'brutal' attack in 1995 - and 26 years later he has murdered again". Worksop Guardian.
  6. Turner, Phil (20 October 2010). "Convicted killer bids for freedom - A man jailed for the brutal murder of two elderly Rotherham sisters could have his convictions quashed next month". Rotherham Advertiser.
  7. Upton, Michael (18 November 2010). "Sisters' killer back in court". Rotherham Advertiser.
  8. "Double killer battered neighbour to death while on licence, jury told". BBC News. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  9. "Lawrence Bierton: Killer guilty of third murder will never be released". BBC News. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  10. "Double killer used severe force in attack, court told". BBC News. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  11. "Double killer affected by alcohol during neighbour attack, court told". BBC News. 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  12. Sherdley, Rebecca (2023-01-05). "Serious review completed after double killer struck again". Nottinghamshire Live. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  13. "Statement: Sentencing of Lawrence Bierton for the murder of Mrs Pauline Quinn". Brendan Clarke-Smith. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  14. Media, P. A. (2023-12-20). "Triple killer receives whole-life order for Nottinghamshire murder". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  15. "Triple killer given whole-life order for 'senseless' murder of neighbour". The Independent. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  16. "Probation Service apologises after murderer killed again while on licence". The Independent. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.

See also