The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
‘WE thought hE woulD BE sAfE’
Family’s anger as Jordan Palmer convicted of manslaughter after killing cellmate at HMP Peterborough
The family of a man killed by his cellmate in a frenzied attack at HMP Peterborough have spoken of their heartbreak after a jury convicted his killer of manslaughter. TerryOjuederie, 42, fromWatford, was attacked in his cell by Jordan Palmer inside HMP Peterborough on December 9, 2015 .
Yesterday, Palmer(26) was clearedofmurderbutconvicted of manslaughter.
Palmer removed his glasses andlooked upto the ceiling after the jury returned their verdict. He will be sentenced today.
After the hearing, Ojuederie’s family said: “We believe the right verdict was reached today, althoughtherewasnevergoingtobeahappyoutcome for us. Terry was brutally killed in a frenzied one-sided attackbyhiscellmate. Nothing can bring Terry back to us, or take away the pain and devastation we are living with each day. We are left instead with an emptiness and the horror of his final moments as heard in detail during this murder trial. The bitter feeling at how this could happen in prison, a place we thought Terry would be safe, will remain with us forever, as will the torment of notknowingforsurethetruth of what really happened in his cell that night.”
They added: “Given that he was the only person with Terry in the cell, Palmer had no choice but to admit to ferociously killing Terry. Despite that we have had to endure a long trial with whatseemedat times a real possibility that he could walk free, an outcome that would have left us feeling angry and confused.”
Palmer, who was serving a six year sentence after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm after assaulting three people with a baseball bat on New Year’s Eve 2013, hit Ojuederie a number of times with a TV screen.
He said he had been affectedbydrugsOjuederiewastaking in the cell.
Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Adam Gallop, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “The attack was one of the most vicious I have seen, and happened at a time when TerryOjuederiewasunableto defend himself or escape.
“I can only say as some small consolation that in all probability Terry would have lost consciousnessveryquickly.
“On the evidence presentedduringthetrial, thejuryhas found Palmer guilty of manslaughteronthegroundsofdiminished responsibility and I respect that decision.
“Very sadly, in this case, a manhaslosthislifeandafamily have lost a loved one.
“Our thoughts are with Mr Ojuederie’s family and friends at this difficult time, and I commend them for the dignity and respect they have demonstrated through a very difficult court process.”