'Warped and angry' Serial burglar Lee Peacock guilty of murdering girlfriend and associate
31 January 2023, 16:32 | Updated: 31 January 2023, 17:12
"Warped and angry" killer Lee Peacock has been found guilty of murdering his partner and an associate weeks after being freed from prison.
Peacock, 50, cut the throats of his partner, 46-year-old Sharon Pickles, and Clinton Ashmore, 59, in Westminster in August 2021, the Old Bailey heard.
Peacock was tracked down to a houseboat by officers after a five-day search.
He was said to have been found with self-inflicted wounds, and was taken to hospital with "life-threatening" injuries.
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He admitted killing the pair but denied murder.
During the trial, his actions were described by prosecutor Edward Brown KC as "cold-blooded" and "determined".
On the evening of August 19, 2021, Peacock's father informed police that his son had visited him and confessed to being a killer.
Jurors heard that his son had turned up at the property with Ms Pickles's kitten in his rucksack.
Police went to his girlfriend's home and found her body wrapped up and hidden under a bed, with a signed confession nearby.
Later that day, Peacock was seen on CCTV walking with Mr Ashmore towards his Westminster flat, and left alone 15 minutes later.
Two hours later Mr Ashmore was found dead by friends. He and Ms Pickles had died from similar knife wounds to the neck.
Peacock and the kitten were eventually found on August 25.
When police arrived, Peacock attempted to cut his own neck before being restrained.
The jury was told Peacock was out to "punish" his girlfriend and Mr Ashmore during a two-day spree of violence.
Mr Brown told him: "You committed two terrible murders with your warped and angry mind, that's the reality and you confessed to two terrible murders, didn't you?
"You were determined to punish Sharon Pickles and you were determined to punish Clinton Ashmore.
"You intended nothing less that to kill each of them, didn't you?"
Giving evidence in the trial, Peacock insisted he was "not a monster" and that he never intended to harm either of the victims.
Peacock appeared in court today, where the jury took two hours and 20 minutes to find him guilty of double murder.
Sentencing has been adjourned until tomorrow morning.
