A man has been found guilty of murder after keeping his victim imprisoned in his flat for two weeks and emptying his bank account. Ashley Crowder, 36, will be sentenced next month following his conviction by a jury at Bolton Crown Court for the death of Graham Cox, 37.
Conviction details
On Wednesday, June 17, jurors found Crowder guilty of murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and four counts of theft. The court heard that Mr Cox was discovered on March 4, 2024, lying on a sofa with a blanket over his body. Paramedics reported he was 'cold to the touch' and showed signs of rigor mortis. He had been beaten to death and his bank account was completely drained.
Mr Cox had gone 14 days without food, according to the Manchester Evening News. When officers arrived at the flat on Barton Walk, Farnworth, Crowder claimed Mr Cox had suffered a fall several days earlier and sustained a 'bleed on the brain'. He told officers he was 'just about to phone the ambulance'. Crowder denied physically and financially abusing Mr Cox in the weeks leading up to his death, the precise date of which remains unknown.
Victim's vulnerability
Jurors were told Mr Cox had been in a 'pitiful state' of health for some months before his death. His home on St James Street, Farnworth, had been uninhabitable for several weeks. He was described as vulnerable due to his drug addiction and existing medical conditions. Prosecutors alleged that Mr Cox was forced to surrender his benefits payments to Crowder, who they claimed beat and strangled Mr Cox to death. Mr Cox died as a result of sustained blunt force physical assaults.
The court heard that Mr Cox attended a support centre claiming he had been held hostage by Crowder at his flat for the previous 14 days and had been subjected to violent attacks. He said he managed to escape through a window before making his way to the UCAN centre in Farnworth, which he regularly visited for assistance. He alleged that Crowder had forced him to hand over his benefits money.
Melanie Livesey, a councillor in Bolton who was at the UCAN Centre that day, said Mr Cox was 'visibly shaking from head to toe'. 'His first words were: I'm really sorry to bother you, I've been kidnapped. I've not had nothing to eat or drink for 14 days,' she said in a statement read to jurors. 'He looked scared, tired and in pain. We gave him six mince pies. He ate them all immediately. It was evident he was starving.'
Mr Cox subsequently attended hospital and spoke with police. Jed Leck, who worked at the centre, said Mr Cox told him he had met an old friend, Ashley, who took him home, ran him a bath, and fed him. The next morning, Ashley asked for money to buy more food. When Mr Cox said he had no more money, Ashley changed and started to batter him. Mr Leck said Mr Cox's clothing was 'really dirty' and he was in a bad condition, with wounds and bruises unlike anything seen at the centre before. Mr Cox said he escaped through a living room window when Crowder fell asleep.
Crowder, of Barton Walk, Farnworth, will be sentenced on July 29.
