Aldham murder trial: Relative given life for Donald Ralph killing
Essex PoliceA man who beat and strangled his 83-year-old uncle to death after burgling him has been jailed for life.
Donald Ralph died in his bungalow of 50 years in Aldham, Essex, on 28 December.
Leighton Snook, 28, of no fixed address, was found guilty of murder and burglary at his trial at Ipswich Crown Court.
Snook's 17-year-old accomplice, Tyler Love, was jailed for eight years for burglary and manslaughter after being acquitted of murder.
Post-mortem examinations of Mr Ralph found three fractures to his cheekbone and abrasions to his neck, throat and back.
During his trial, the court heard Snook had burgled his relative to get money owed to a drug dealer.
Snook was "related by step-marriage" to Mr Ralph, also known as Don, and had been "desperate for money", the court was told.
Mr Ralph was "beaten until he bled" and then strangled.
Essex PoliceSentencing, Judge Martyn Levett said: "Mr Ralph was a vulnerable old man and the death was in his own home and the burglary was planned and premeditated.
"This was a brutal way to kill another human being.
"He was an elderly man who lived on his own and who was obviously vulnerable, but in good health and had every prospect of living until he was 100 years old."
He told Snook: "You grabbed hold of him, punched him in the face and strangled him to death.
"You dragged a 16-year-old boy into a world of crime. He was a young person whose mind was impressionable."
Essex PoliceSnook and Love stole a Ruger self-loading 22-calibre rifle, a Browning shotgun and a Volvo car from Mr Ralph's bungalow in Halstead Road.
The firearms have not yet been recovered.
Judge Levett said the pair had lied to police in claiming they did not know where the guns were.
He said: "I don't think it's because you don't know where they are, nor do I think you are scared of any retribution, but I think you want to protect the criminals whose firearms are in their possession.
"MP Jo Cox was murdered with a gun which had been stolen from someone who held a licence for it.
"The potential harm when firearms fall into the wrong hands must be taken very seriously."
A victim impact statement was read out in court from Mr Ralph's niece Tina Ralph, who alerted Essex Police after finding his body the day after the attack.
She said her uncle was a "much loved and respected" member of the community.
"Learning that a member of the family was responsible for Don's murder was a shock," she said.
"For me it will never really be over - it's an emotional scar I will carry for the rest of my life."
Snook was sentenced to life in prison for Mr Ralph's murder, and was told he must serve a minimum of 30 years.
Love said he would not have gone along with the burglary if he had known someone would die, and apologised to the family in a statement.
The judge had lifted the anonymity normally given to defendants aged under 18, so that Love could be named.
