Killers jailed for life for sadistic murder

Jun 27 2009 The Journal

Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said Clarke was the instigator of the plot and was “sadistic”.

But he said the trio’s attempts to commit a “perfect murder” – apparently re-enacting a scene from the movie Severance – had unravelled partly because Clarke could not stop boasting about what he had done.

Stewart confessed to his mother Susan and she called police.

Clarke and Stewart smirked and whispered in the dock as Mr Justice Calvert-Smith passed sentence yesterday. Stewart shouted something towards the public gallery as he left and made V sign.

Prosecutors had described Simon’s murder as “grotesque brutality’’ and an “horrific execution’’.

The detective who led the inquiry said the horror of the attack was beyond his understanding.

“The sort of thing you might associate with gangsters or a godfather community,” said Detective Chief Inspector Steve Strong. “It has to be one of the most serious cases I have dealt with in 30 years as a policeman.”

Simon’s father was having a “horrendous time” dealing with the murder of his son, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement, read out by Mr Justice Calvert-Smith, professional entertainer Vince Everitt said he had struggled to come to terms with the terrible murder of his son.

“As time went on the horror of what happened began to get to me.”

Mr Everitt said his health had “deteriorated tenfold” and he had been put on “complete bed rest” by a doctor.