Executed by a monster
Man who knifed his former partner’s daughter to death in a supermarket after blaming her for split is jailed for 30 years
A MAN furious about the breakdown of his relationship carried out the ‘cold-blooded public execution’ of his ex-partner’s daughter in a busy supermarket.
Neville Hord, 44, spent two weeks carefully planning the murder, amassing an armoury of lethal weapons including a crossbow and an axe.
The father- of- two blamed Jodie Willsher, 30, for the recent break-up of his relationship with her mother, Nicole Dinsdale, 49. The killing was carried out while Hord was on bail charged with assaulting Miss Dinsdale.
He chose to knife Mrs Willsher to death in front of horrified shoppers, including children, in the aisle of an Aldi supermarket where she worked as a store assistant four days before Christmas.
Hord, who was also carrying an axe, stabbed and slashed the helpless young mother-of-one 16 times with brutal and merciless ferocity. Yesterday Judge Jonathan Durham Hall, QC, told Hord: ‘You are sadly but truly and horribly rotten to the core. You are a monster Mr Hord.’
As members of the victim’s family listened in dignified silence at Bradford Crown Court, the judge said the killing was a crime ‘of the most chilling depravity’ and that Hord ‘wanted her to die in the most horrific circumstances possible’. He described the degree of premeditation as ‘utterly wicked’.
The judge added: ‘ You deliberately chose a time and place to execute, to kill, to murder and calculated to cause maximum pain, horror, shock and trauma.’
Hord, a self- employed plumber with a history of domestic violence, was yesterday jailed for life after admitting the murder of Mrs Willsher in Skipton, North Yorkshire, last December.
The judge said he must serve 30 years before being eligible for parole but would ‘probably never be released’.
Mrs Willsher’s death had destroyed the lives of her husband Malcolm, 36, and their four-yearold daughter Megan, the court heard. Megan later told her father: ‘I hate you Daddy for not bringing Mummy back, you are not trying hard enough.’
Before the public hearing the judge and barristers had privately viewed a distressing high quality CCTV showing the killing in graphic detail. Only one copy exists and the judge ordered it should not be released for public viewing.
Prosecutor Peter Moulson, QC, described the murder as a ‘ coldblooded public execution perpetrated for the purpose of revenge’. He said the background to it was Hord’s 15-month relationship with Miss Dinsdale.
He allegedly broke her arm in an assault that led to him being charged with grievous bodily harm a month before the killing.
Miss Dinsdale had a very close relationship with her daughter and Hord was said to be ‘jealous’ of Mrs Willsher. Mr Moulson said he ‘blamed Jodie for the breakdown of his for made Hord the relationship’ man, as threats was murder a ‘nasty described an ‘emotionally to was piece kill and revenge’. by Mrs of the Miss work’. Willsher controlling’ ‘motive Dinsdale He while The arguing court heard with her Mrs mother. Willsher even sent a chillingly prophetic text to her friend: ‘Apparently he is going to kill me.’
During the fortnight before the murder Hord bought a ‘ pistol crossbow’ and 50 bolts along with a pair of knives and an axe, all for use in the crime he planned.
He also fitted a tracking device to Mrs Willsher’s car and linked it to her mobile phone so he could monitor her movements.
On the afternoon of December 21 last year he walked into the Aldi store in Skipton with a knife and axe hidden under his coat. Mr Moulson said he approached Mrs Willsher, without into forceful her. attack,’ warning ‘It who was smiled he a plunged determined said. at him, the knife and and and She Hord fell continued to the floor with screaming the brutal blows – the force of which caused the blade tip to bend. About half a dozen brave customers and staff intervened and eventually tied Hord up with cling film and a belt to restrain him until police arrived. Paramedics pronounced Mrs Willsher dead at the scene. While being arrested, Hord said: ‘It’s all her fault, she is to blame.’ Although Hord had no previous convictions he did have a history of domestic violence in a previous long-term relationship with the mother of his two children. Hord threatened to kill the woman and their five-year-old son, telling them: ‘I will chop the pair of you up and bury you on the moor.’
‘You are rotten to the core’