A woman convicted for her role in the brutal torture and murder of a former soldier in Birmingham has died while serving a life sentence.
A brutal and senseless attack
Lisa Jean Clarke, 53, from Aston, was a member of a gang whose actions were described by a judge as "coming very close to sadistic." In May 2012, Clarke, along with three men, subjected 64-year-old Brian Farmer to a two-hour ordeal in his flat at Bakeman House in Yardley.
The court heard how Mr Farmer, who had served over two decades in the British Army, was stabbed five times and suffered 17 separate injuries to his head and neck. The gang also poured boiling water over him and force-fed him drugs during what was described as a "cruel, senseless and barbaric act."
Justice and a life sentence
Following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court in 2013, Clarke was found guilty of murder. She was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years in prison that December.
Her co-defendants were also convicted. Jason Andrews, then 40, and Vaughan Davies, then 18, were found guilty of murder and jailed for 27 and 14 years respectively. Peter Knowles, then 52, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter and received a 14-year sentence.
Sentencing the group, the judge highlighted the vulnerability of the victim, stating the attack was a "cruel and unpleasant way of ending the life of a man who had fallen on hard times, and, who, over the years had done service to his country."
An unexplained death in custody
Clarke died in custody last month at the age of 53. She had been an inmate at HMP Styal, a closed-category women's prison in Cheshire.
According to reports, she was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital on October 21 and died five days later on October 26. As her death occurred in custody, an inquest was opened at Warrington Coroner's Court.
The inquest has been adjourned to allow for further investigation. A pre-inquest review is scheduled for January 29, 2026, with the full inquest set to take place on April 27, 2026.
In addition to the coroner's inquest, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death.
