Thomas Parker murder: Man jailed for horseshoe attack

Thomas Parker was killed after becoming involved in an argument at Reading train station

A man who murdered a fellow train passenger by hitting him on the head with a horseshoe has been jailed.

Kirkpatrick Virgo attacked 24-year-old Thomas Parker on a platform at Reading station after a journey on 30 July.

Reading Crown Court heard it followed an argument between the pair after one of the 42-year-old's friends was told to turn their music down.

Virgo, from Slough, was found guilty of murder and has been sentenced to 21 years and 123 days in prison.

Kirkpatrick Virgo told Reading Crown Court he bought the horseshoe as a "lucky charm"

The trial heard the row started at about 23:00 BST when Mr Parker's brother Craig, 27, asked for the volume of the music to be lowered during a journey on an Elizabeth Line train.

The two groups shouted at each other before the altercation was ended by off-duty police officers.

Virgo then followed the Parker brothers after the train arrived at Reading station and removed a heavy horseshow from his rucksack, using it to strike Mr Parker on the head.

Virgo told jurors he bought the horseshoe as a "lucky charm" from an antiques shop and was carrying it because he had not got round to hanging it on a door.

Virgo followed the group before removing the horseshoe from his rucksack

Steven Parker, the victim's father, told the sentencing hearing it was "every parent's worst nightmare" when he received a phone call saying he urgently needed to come to the station.

He said: "We approached in fear, hoping in our hearts we would be able to take Tom home with us, or at least take him to hospital where he could receive medical treatment. We could not be more wrong.

"We wanted to hug Tom, to take him home, to gently shake him and tell him to wake up. To tell him everything will be OK."

He described his son as being like a brother, and added that Craig had "not only lost his brother but also his closest friend".

The attack happened on a platform at Reading Station

The Parker brothers had been on their way home from a match between Arsenal and Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium in London when the row between the groups of men began.

CCTV footage showed Virgo and two friends boarding the same train at Slough carrying a "boombox", and accounts taken from witnesses stated they were playing loud music, police said.

During the argument, passengers heard Virgo remark: "Do you want to die tonight?"

Following the attack, Craig Parker chased Virgo through the station, catching him on the concourse and tackling him to the floor in a "bear hug" before rail staff intervened and alerted emergency services.

The court heard that father-of-four Virgo had five previous convictions for crimes such as drink-driving and possession of crack cocaine and heroin.