Fears still prevail one year on from woman's murder

Anita Rose died after being attacked while walking her dog over fields near her home village of Brantham, Suffolk

When a mother-of-six was murdered while walking her dog exactly one year ago, it left many people in a small Suffolk community living in fear. Earlier this month, the killer of Anita Rose was found guilty following a trial, but how do the residents of Brantham now feel?

Fifty-seven-year-old Anita was walking in the early morning of 24 July 2024 before she was discovered with severe injuries near Rectory Lane in Brantham, about eight miles (13km) south of Ipswich.

She died in hospital four days later, leaving her family distraught and villagers frightened.

The event sparked a murder inquiry, and three months later police announced they had charged Roy Barclay - a 55-year-old man already wanted by officers - over her death.

Marti Mower questioned why someone would have wanted to attack a lone woman

Marti Mower, 77, has lived in Brantham for more than 40 years and said she would never have imagined an attack like this to happen.

"It was scary... my daughter has a dog and we used to walk him in the same place," she recalled.

"We don't walk down there any more - you just never know what's going to happen."

Ms Mower said she believed the community had pulled together, but felt many people were aware "these things can happen even in a small village".

Simon Barrett was concerned for his wife when walking their dog following the attack

Simon Barrett, 51, had moved to the village just months before the attack, which he said had led to a lot of "unease".

"When I went out I was turning around, looking if I heard something behind me, because we didn't know what had happened and what the outcome was going to be," he said.

Mr Barrett said tensions had since relaxed, with "a lot more going on" in the village.

"It's a quiet area anyway with country lanes and there's always people dog walking, jogging, whereas before there was nothing for quite a while," he said.

Jane Frame is wary of where she now walks in Brantham with her dog

Jane Frame, 59, is from nearby East Bergholt, but comes to Brantham weekly to walk her dog.

"A place like Brantham, it's quiet around here so you just don't expect it," she said.

"I didn't walk around here for a while. I didn't want to come around here."

Mrs Frame said she would not walk in the village early in the morning any more.

"It does make you think twice about the whole area and who's here," she added.

Jane Carrington knew of Ms Rose when they would walk past each other

Jane Carrington, 69, said she had previously interacted with Ms Rose.

"I used to see her out with her dog quite often when I had a dog as well," she said.

"I have seen her [Ms Rose's] partner out with the dog and had a chat with him, they seem to be doing OK.

"I think it took a lot out of him, especially the court case."

She felt the community was pleased to have seen Barclay found guilty of her murder.

Roy Plowright believed the Brantham community had remained strong and still felt the same a year on

Roy Plowright, 73, is from East End, but regularly comes into Brantham.

"It was terrible, attacking a poor lady and just leaving her there, it's disgusting," he said.

"I've only been here six years... where we live there is no street lighting, it's so quiet, there's no police or fire engines every night, it's a lovely place to live.

"[Everyone] was relieved that they got him [Barclay] and he had been charged."

Roy Barclay was told to expect a "lengthy sentence" by a judge after being found guilty of murder

Barclay was on the run from police for two years, living in a makeshift camp in Brantham when he attacked Ms Rose.

He had also been jailed in 2015 for the violent, unprovoked assault on an elderly man in an Essex seaside town, and was released on parole in 2020.

He was arrested and charged three months after the Brantham attack, with his DNA discovered on a jacket and headphones she was wearing at the time.

Barclay is due to be sentenced on 6 August at Ipswich Crown Court.

Dog walkers have been regularly using the pathways again near to where Ms Rose was attacked