Pair killed man then went shopping with his money

Sarah Pearson and Ian Mitchell had taken financial advantage of Stephen Kershaw, police said

A man and woman from Bradford have been jailed for life for murdering a vulnerable grandfather in his own home.

Ian Mitchell, 35, and Sarah Pearson, 23, killed 65-year-old Stephen Kershaw in September 2022 then went on a spending spree with his money, West Yorkshire Police said.

They were jailed at Bradford Crown Court on Friday after admitting murder and fraud at an earlier hearing.

Mr Kershaw's family said the duo had taken "our lovely dad and grandad away".

Stephen Kershaw's family said he was a "kind and gentle soul"

Mr Kershaw had been reported missing on 13 September 2022 by a concerned family member.

He was found dead in a bedroom alcove at his home in Shetcliffe Lane, East Bierley, three days later.

A "grab handle" had been used as a weapon in the attack on Mr Kershaw, Bradford Crown Court had previously heard.

Mitchell and Pearson, also of Shetcliffe Lane, had then gone on a shopping spree with his money, police said.

CCTV footage showed Ian Mitchell and Sarah Pearson going shopping with Stephen Kershaw's money

Mitchell was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 22 years and Pearson was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 19 years.

Senior investigating officer Det Supt Marc Bowes, of the force's Homicide and Major Enquiry team, said the pair had taken advantage of Mr Kershaw and "used him for financial gain".

He said: "Stephen was murdered in his own home by two people he thought he could trust."

He said he welcomed the pair's convictions, saying they both deserved to be "behind bars for a very long time".

'Cruel and senseless'

In a statement, Mr Kershaw's family said: "We cannot begin to put into words the devastation caused by the cruel and senseless death of our beloved father and grandfather Stephen.

"Our lives will never be the same again.

“Those two took our lovely dad and grandad away when they should have been protecting him; caring for him.

"Due to Dad’s physical vulnerabilities, he was incapable of defending himself and it is truly heartbreaking to realise the full extent of the cruelty they inflicted on him.

“Dad was a kind and gentle soul and was much loved and cared about by his family and friends and he is greatly missed by all of us.

“They will serve their sentences but the heartbreak and grief we feel for the loss of our dad and grandad will be never-ending."

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