Anita Rose murder: Fugitive who murdered woman as she walked dog jailed for at least 25 years

Summary

A fugitive who murdered 57-year-old Anita Rose while she was walking her dog in Suffolk is jailed for at least 25 years
Roy Barclay, 56, had been on the run for two years to avoid being recalled to prison for a separate offence
The grandmother died in hospital after being found on a footpath in Brantham with serious injuries, akin to those seen in high-speed motor accidents
The judge earlier called Barclay "an unpredictable, dangerous man... prone to terrible outbursts of violence"
"[We] planned to grow old together", Ms Rose's partner told the court, while her daughter said "our world shattered" - Barclay showed no emotion, our reporter in court writes
The killer left a sizeable digital footprint while in hiding - using his bank card to order items and leaving hundreds of Google reviews

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Watch: Roy Barclay is arrested at the library

Live Reporting

Edited by Christiana Bishop, with Laura Foster and Alice Cunningham at Ipswich Crown Court

Judge calls Barclay 'unpredictable, dangerous', prone to 'outbursts of violence'published at 12:20 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Judge Martyn Levett says Anita Rose's family want to know why Roy Barclay attacked her as well as why he took her belongings.
"You are, in my judgement, an unpredictable, dangerous man and someone who is prone to terrible outbursts of violence," he tells Barclay.
"It is clear to me that Anita had no history of violence, she was not violent in anyway."
He adds: "But due to your silence and you choosing not to give evidence in your trial, we will perhaps never know what triggered this outburst of violence."
He says he believes Barclay intended to kill Mr Rose based on her injuries.
Barclay should have addressed temperpublished at 12:17 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Judge Martyn Levett continues to speak about what happened in 2015.
He says it was an "unprovoked attack", but Roy Barclay's 10-year sentence should have been "enough time" for him to change his ways and address his "temper".
Barclay attacked 'helpless' man in Essexpublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Judge Martyn Levett is telling the court about Roy Barclay's attack on a "helpless" 82-year-old in 2015 in Essex.
This is something he is taking into account for his sentencing.
He says Barclay "without warning" attacked this man and for 53 seconds beat him.
Judge Levett says the victim in this case suffered a detached jaw, fractures to his eye sockets and had to have 10 titanium pieces fitted to his head.
Barclay does not look at judgepublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 6 August
Laura Foster
Senior reporter at Ipswich Crown Court

Barclay is currently sitting holding his hands together and looking everywhere but at the judge.
The judge has told Roy Barclay to sit throughout his remarks and to stand at the end.
Judge addresses Barclaypublished at 12:11 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Judge Martyn Levett is now addressing Roy Barclay.
He says despite the length of the trial there is still "little" known about Barclay and his motivation for attacking Anita Rose.
Judge begins sentencing remarkspublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

The judge is beginning his sentencing remarks.
He tells anyone who wants to leave Court One, to do so now.
Defence begins outlining mitigationpublished at 12:05 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Simon Spence KC, Roy Barclay's defence barrister, is now speaking with the court to outline the mitigating factors.
He says Barclay accepted the jury's verdict.
Judge to sentence Barclay for other offencepublished at 12:05 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Christopher Paxton KC tells the court Roy Barclay had previously pleaded guilty to remaining unlawfully at large after being recalled to prison.
He pleaded guilty to this prior to his trial for the murder of Anita Rose and the judge will sentence him for this today as well.
Prosecution argues Roy Barclay intended to killpublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Christopher Paxton KC says Roy Barclay intended to kill Anita Rose.
He is now discussing the time Barclay has already spent in custody which the judge will take into consideration when passing his sentence.
Aggravating factors discussedpublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Christopher Paxton KC suggests a starting point for the minimum term Roy Barclay should be in prison for is 15 years.
However the judge is yet to consider any mitigating factors from Barclay's defence counsel.
Mr Paxton lists 11 aggravating factors in the case.
These include the use of "sustained and excessive violence", killing in public causing "great public concern", the stealing and taking of her property, Barclay's previous conviction in 2015 for attacking an elderly man and breaking his conditions of the licence of his parole.
Investigation one of the biggest in Suffolk's historypublished at 11:53 British Summer Time 6 August
Laura Foster
Senior reporter at Ipswich Crown Court

Image source, BBC/John Fairhall
Image caption,
The investigation into the murder of Anita Rose in Brantham went on for four months
The prosecution has told the court how this case shook the community of Brantham and tested its resilience.
Christopher Paxton KC said Suffolk is one of the safest counties in England and Wales and, until this murder, Brantham had a low crime rate.
All the residents in Brantham were spoken to as part of the investigation into Anita Rose's death, with police visiting 1,299 properties in total.
Prosecutor discusses sentencing frameworkpublished at 11:50 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC is now speaking with Judge Martyn Levett about what sentencing framework he should consider with Roy Barclay.
He tells the judge a minimum term of the time Barclay will spend in prison must be set.
Attack led to reduction in dog walkerspublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

We are continuing to hear details of what the police's investigation entailed.
Christopher Paxton KC says thousands of people were approached by officers in the village in an attempt to gather information.
He says there was a significant drop in the number of female dog walkers in the area after what happened to Anita Rose.
Brantham considered to have 'low crime'published at 11:47 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

We are now finished hearing from the family.
Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC is now reading a statement from a police officer who worked on the investigation surrounding Anita Rose's attack and murder.
The statement says the village of Brantham was considered to have "low crime" rates.
Anita's partner says he now has 'nobody'published at 11:46 British Summer Time 6 August
Laura Foster
Senior reporter at Ipswich Crown Court

In his statement, Richard Jones said "she always told me how happy she was to be with me".
"I spent 14 years with Anita. Our lives were perfect.
"All that was taken from me. Now I've nobody," he said.
Partner says world 'turned upside down'published at 11:45 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

"When I do the everyday tasks like housework I can hear Anita telling me what I had done wrong... everything [in the home] is still as she had," Richard Jones, Anita Rose's partner, says.
"Anita used to organise and deal with all our financial matters and I am lost without her."
He adds: "My whole world has been turned upside down in the most awful and brutal way."
Anita and her partner 'planned to grow old together'published at 11:44 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Image source, BBC Crimewatch
Image caption,
Richard Jones was the partner of Anita Rose
Anita Rose's partner, Richard Jones, is next to have his statement read.
He says the loss of "my Anita" had been hard to deal with after they had "planned to grow old together".
"It only started to feel real when she was no longer here and the court case progressed," his statement reads.
"I've had to hear about awful injuries my Anita was subjected to... hearing what I have heard haunts me and continues to haunt me."
He adds that standing in court and providing evidence in the trial "was not easy".
'Proud my mum held on'published at 11:42 British Summer Time 6 August
Laura Foster
Senior reporter at Ipswich Crown Court

Anita Rose was attacked on 24 July 2024 and died four days later in hospital.
In Warren Rose's statement, we heard that he was "so proud" of his mum for holding on so that each family member could visit her and "tell her how much we loved her".
As this part was read out, I could see other members of Ms Rose's family smile slightly and nod their heads in agreement, while holding back tears.
Son speaks of impact on life and familypublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Ashley Rose says he has taken a "significant" amount of time off work due to his mother's death and the murder trial.
He says his own children will now have to grow up without their grandmother.
Son helped search for missing itemspublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 6 August
Alice Cunningham
Reporting from Ipswich Crown Court

Ashley Rose says he had helped in the search for items belonging to his mother that were missing after the attack.
Her jacket, phone, phone case and earbuds were not with her when she was found.
He says he even purchased a drone to help.