Chesterfield man guilty of murdering and dismembering landlord

Graham Snell's body parts were found dumped in various locations around Chesterfield

A man has been found guilty of murdering and dismembering the body of his 71-year-old landlord.

Graham Snell's body parts were found in different locations in Chesterfield, including down a badger sett.

Daniel Walsh, 30, had denied his murder and claimed he "panicked" and cut up Mr Snell's body on 20 June after finding him dead in his bathroom.

The jury unanimously found him guilty after deliberating for just over an hour at Derby Crown Court.

The trial had heard on the last day he was seen alive, Mr Snell told police that Walsh had been stealing from his bank account.

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The prosecution said Walsh, of Marsden Street, killed the older man to steal his money and after his death transferred hundreds of pounds from Mr Snell's account into his own.

The cause of Mr Snell's death remains unknown due to the damage to his corpse, the court previously heard.

The majority of his body parts were found in the summer of 2019 but his head and arms were discovered in February this year after Walsh marked their location on a map for officers.

The court heard Mr Snell had offered Walsh a place to stay three weeks before he died

In the days following Mr Snell's death, jurors heard Walsh visited a Cash Generator to sell electrical items, including two television sets belonging to Mr Snell.

He also went to a spa and casino, and tried to obtain an emergency passport.

Det Ch Insp Sally Blaiklock said the "depraved acts" Walsh carried out on a "a quiet man and a good neighbour, are truly shocking".

"They were carried out for his own self-preservation and so he could spend Graham's small amount of savings at massage parlours, in casinos and on drink and drugs," she said.

"I welcome today's verdict and hope this allow Graham's family, friends and neighbours to come to terms with what happened to a much-loved man who will never be forgotten."

Police said Mr Walsh referred to the older man as "uncle" and Mr Snell called his lodger "nephew", but there was no family link.

Walsh is due to be sentenced on Monday.