POLICE have welcomed the guilty verdict and 37 year jail sentence for Jack Crawley, calling it justice for Paul Taylor and his family.
Detective Superintendent Ian Hussey was Cumbria’s senior investigating officer (SIO) in the investigation.
Speaking after the jury guilty verdict on Monday, he said: “Paul was tragically killed after suffering an assault at the hands of Jack Crawley. He was a much-loved father, husband, brother and friend who I know will be missed by many.
“Crawley refused to admit to the brutal murder of Paul, instead pleading guilty to manslaughter, claiming his death was the result of a car theft gone wrong.
“However after a jury heard the evidence gathered against him, they found him guilty of murder. I would like to thank the members of the jury who have listened carefully and watched all of the evidence presented to them surrounding this shocking incident.”
DSupt Hussey also praised the prosecutors and officers at Cumbria Constabulary and North Yorkshire Police for “outstanding work” on what he described as a “complex case”.
The officer spoke further after Wednesday’s sentencing, saying: “I am pleased that our investigation has resulted in justice for Paul and his family.
“Paul was the victim of a pre-meditated and calculated attack by Crawley who arrived to meet Paul prepared to commit a serious act of violence.
“From the very start of this, Crawley has lied about his actions – from initially denying even knowing Paul, to later denying he murdered him, instead concocting a story around self-defence.
“Today, Crawley is behind bars where he rightly belongs, and he will now spend a considerable amount of his adult life in prison.”
He added: “I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Paul’s family and friends for their loss.
“I can only imagine what they have had to go through over the past year and an I would like to commend them for remaining dignified and composed throughout the whole investigation and trial, despite being forced to hear some shocking and hurtful evidence.”
“We know that no outcome at court will ever serve as comfort to Paul’s family and friends, but I do hope that the verdict will offer a small amount of closure for them, knowing that we have brought Crawley to justice.”
