Architect stabbed stranger to death after a night out
Killer, 58, jailed for minimum of 20 years after dispute led to murder of barber, 34
AN architect who stabbed a stranger to death after a dispute about a phone has been jailed for life.
Martyn Turley took a knife and plunged it into the chest of Stuart Roe after a night out.
Turley, 58, of Whitehouse Street, Tipton, previously admitted a charge of murder and possessing an offensive weapon.
Mr Justice Johnson ruled he must serve a minimum of 20 years in jail before being considered for release. He also imposed a concurrent threeand-a-half year sentence for the weapon charge.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that both Turley and 34-year-old Mr Roe had been on separate nights out in Rowley Regis before they met in Olive Hill Road, Halesowen, in the early hours of December 30 last year.
There was a dispute between them and CCTV showed Turley grabbing a metal bar from a skip, while Mr Roe, of Springfield Drive, Halesowen, armed himself with a rock.
However, both parted ways and went to separate properties before coming back out and onto Springfield Road.
Turley found Mr Roe again and stabbed him three times. He was found by a member of the public at around 1.30am. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators discovered that although both men had been out drinking in Rowley Regis with separate groups, they were not previously known to each other.
The pair headed home from their respective nights out at around the same time, but took separate routes before coming face to face for the first time in Olive Hill Road at around 1.20am.
Justin Rouse QC, defending,
told the court that Turley was an “ordinary, decent man” who was at a “complete loss” to understand what had happened.
Mr Rouse said: “He wishes he got the taxi. He is an ordinary decent man. He drank more than he should have done.
“He was self-employed. He cared for his mother and father. He is a man who contributes.
“He is a keen amateur musician. He’s never taken drugs and has never been violent.
“Everyone is at a complete loss why this happened. He does not understand why Mr Roe went with him down the road.
“He cannot really remember what exactly happened. He accepts the pathology evidence. Mr Turley falls over during the event.
“He still can not comprehend the enormity of those few seconds.”
He added: “He has been so distressed at his conduct he has tried to take his own life.
“He has been described as quiet, kind and considerate. He cannot
Defence counsel Justin Rouse QC
understand how he was capable of doing something like this.
“He may have lacked an intention to kill. There is very little premeditation in this case. He is nearly 60 and I throw him on the mercy of the court.”
But passing
sentence,
the
judge said: “There was some form of dispute between you. I accept Mr Roe may have said something to you about a phone.
“Whatever you might have thought, in your drunken state you were not under any form of threat from Mr Roe.
“The lead-up to the attack is shown on CCTV. You were following Mr Roe. It was you who lunged at him.
“It was utterly truly senseless.
“It has left his family and friends bewildered at his loss.”
Turley ran an architectural business designing house extensions for over 30 years.
He has been so distressed at his conduct he has tried to take his own life.
unprovoked
and