Crossbow murder victim conned out of £220,000 over cannabis farm to treat MS

A RETIRED lecturer who was murdered in a crossbow attack at his remote home was conned out of more than £200,000 before his death by a man who was growing cannabis on his land.

Gerald Corrigan, 74, died after being shot by a bolt as he adjusted a satellite dish outside his farmhouse on Anglesey, North Wales, on Good Friday 2019.

Terence Whall, 39, a sports therapist and martial arts expert, was convicted of his murder in February 2020, but prosecutors never established a motive for the killing.

Now Richard Wyn Lewis, a convicted fraudster, has admitted conning Mr

Corrigan and his partner, Marie Bailey out of £220,000 in the years leading up to the murder.

The 51-year-old businessman had denied the allegations but changed his plea on the third day of his trial at Mold Crown Court. He admitted four counts of fraud, relating to land sales, property investment and the purchase of horses, while seven further charges were ordered to lie on file.

After his pleas, prosecutors said that they would be offering no evidence against his partner, Siwan Maclean, 53, who faced money laundering charges.

The court was told that while the fraud was not connected with Mr Corrigan’s murder, police had become aware of the allegations while interviewing Ms

Bailey after the crossbow shooting.it also later emerged that Mr Corrigan had allowed Lewis to grow cannabis on his farm in the belief that it might ease Ms Bailey’s multiple sclerosis.

But she told police that while her partner had agreed for a couple of plants to be grown in one of the outhouses, Lewis had developed largescale production.

When the couple found out, they ordered Lewis – who had a previous conviction for growing cannabis – to rip it down, leading to a bitter fallout.

Anglesey locals dubbed Lewis “Mr Teflon”, because as one said: “So few of his crimes ever stick.”

Lewis, of Llanfair-yn-neubwll, Holyhead, is due to be sentenced today.