Impact Statment

This is a copy of the impact statement given and partly read by the Recorder of Bristol Judge Tom Crowther. Marc Riley refused to leave his cell to hear his sentence and therefore did not hear this statement. I hope that in reading this you can start to understand my story.

On the face of it writing an impact statement should be straightforward, I am to express in words the impact of a crime, which has affected my family and me. Then why have I struggled to even start this document?

I think that I understand the importance of this document, to enable professionals and others now or in the future to read and appreciate my perspective. I sincerely hope that what I write now stands the test of time, and has the same devastating impact in the future to those that read it as the memories of 2009 will have on my future and that of my children.

My difficulty in starting this is that I am not sure I can do justice to the enormous effect that this event has had, I can not be sure to find the words to express the depth of sadness I now live with following the planned deeds of two individuals unknown to me and their callous treatment of my mother’s life, taken for what? I hope that by telling you the reader some of my story, you could begin to understand the impact.

My mother was murdered on January the 8th 2009; I don’t know at this moment in time or may never know when her murder was planned. I believe from what I know it was discussed by her murderers while they were in bed together. My mother had taken a lodger some months before, by all accounts she liked him they watched films together, she spoke to him about her family, he even knew about my 11 year old sons illness which had put him in hospital. Mum had spent time with my son, while he received treatment sleeping next to him in hospital. During this time away from her home and against her clear wishes the lodger invited and spent nights together with his boyfriend. Late in 2008 one of mum’s friends lost a daughter to cancer, mum spent time comforting a grieving friend away from home, during this period her lodger again spent nights with his boyfriend, who knows what they planned? What they said? At Christmas and New Year which mum spent with my sisters family and my own, her home was used by these two individuals. I remember the constant calls from her lodger while she was with us, I thought it strange at the time, and I now know they were checking her whereabouts. So exactly when they decided that murder would be the answer to their situation I might never know and this will haunt me forever.

If the extent of the abuse had been this alone I would not be writing now. Shortly after mum returned home and upset their cosy little lives, she paid the ultimate price! Killed and for what? Maybe I will never know this too but it will always haunt me.

What I do know is that mum was murdered while in her own kitchen surrounded by photos on the walls of her family and the people she loved. She was hit on her head up to 12 times with a blunt instrument probably a hammer. I am assured that she probably died quickly but I don’t know for sure, I may never know, her potential suffering in this moment of her death will always torture me. What I do know is that her lifeless body was treated with unbelievable inhuman contempt. She was wrapped in her own bed clothes and her plastic shower curtain, bound with electrical cord from her garden tools, then bundled under cover of darkness into her small car. She was driven through the countryside, finally her killers tramping through farmers fields carried her body to the River Avon were she was indignantly thrown in, lost to the icy waters for over 40 days.

For almost 3 weeks after her murder, the guilty cowards continued to live in my mothers home - having seen her previous habits – they lied to visitors and people that telephoned asking after her. They claimed she was with her family in Surrey or that she was in Italy or that she was staying with an ill friend. Their lies bought them time to clean up the evidence of their crime. At no point up to their arrest, 21 days later, did they demonstrate any humanity toward my mother or her family, on the contrary they lived in her home, drained her bank account of all its funds and even opened online accounts to buy CD’s and DVD’s. They involved there friends in this crime asking for help to dispose of the murder weapon, giving mums car to other friends to dump outside a local scrap car dealers. I can’t and probably never will know how many people knew what these two individuals had done but no one came forward to report what they had heard. These other people choose like vultures to enjoyed the spoils of her death, her personal possessions, mobile phone, jewellery and money all found in residences across Trowbridge.

This squalid story still feels unbelievable to me, my mother was a kind woman full of life and happiness, she loved her children and grand children. Mum spent her working life as a nurse and carer, looking after the ill, and old. When she moved to Wiltshire she worked caring for patients who had mental illness and social problems. Mum was kind and believed in the fundamental goodness of others; I honestly cannot remember her saying nasty or bad things about anybody. She always tried to understand others and see things from their perspective. Mum moved to Trowbridge before either my sister or I was married, she made a life for herself in Wiltshire and had many friends and loved the county and its places of interest. She was happy in Trowbridge, she loved her home it was the depository of her life’s memories full of ornaments that she had collected, the walls covered with photos of her family in England, France and Italy.

Mum travelled to Surrey often to spend time with her grand children; it was so normal for her to arrive and within the hour on her way to the cinema with my son to see a film. On their return mum would spend time with my 4 year old daughter, playing make up and dolls. We ate together cooking food and spending good times. Recently mum discussed a possible return to Surrey; she was still young and wanted to spend more time with her grandchildren. Mum was a very affectionate person with so much love; she would always cuddle and hug her children and grandchildren. She was a lively, friendly and generous person; she was full of character and will always be missed.

Marc Riley and David Carr-Burstow’s actions, subsequent lies and lack of remorse have only served to harden my hatred for them and the things they did. I believe that their lack of morality has and will remain a danger to us all. They choose to murder somebody they knew and who trusted them, she was defenseless and at the mercy of two young adult men who’s twisted view of their own lives and sick ideas extinguished hers, the disgrace of their actions before, during and after her murder has poisoned my own future and that of my children, who have been denied the love of their grandmother.

In the short nine months since her murder I cannot escape the daily reminders that torment me, I regularly feel the emptiness and void that has been left by her unnecessary death and despair at the perverted circumstance she found her self in that night in January.

Some weeks ago my 4 year old daughter stood in the garden holding her drawings of Nonna up to the sky.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Showing Nonna my pictures, she’s in heaven.” the answer.

This is not the only time I have seen her do it.