Man Uses Crossbow in Brutal Murder That Shocked the British Isles
Jim Kouri, CPP
February 22, 2006
A Briton calmly shot his landlord in the head and heart with a crossbow before sitting down to watch TV.
Ashley Thorpe shot an arrow into the head of Alan Eva before attacking him with hammers, an air rifle and a knife as he lay groaning on the carpet, a British jury was told.
Thorpe later told police after making sure the 49-year-old was dead he "sat down and watched the telly".
After shooting arrows at Mr. Eva, hitting him in the head and heart, Thorpe used hammers to ram the bolts in "just as far as they could go, " the court was told. In between launching attacks on his victim he drank beer and smoked drugs, prosecutors said.
He was arrested after sending a picture of Mr. Eva's head with a crossbow bolt through it to a friend's mobile phone.
Thorpe has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Mr. Eva following a row at the victim's apartment.
Prosecutor Sarah Munro told the jury Thorpe had been staying with Mr. Eva, a supervisor at a local meat factory. She said the victim was killed after ordering Thorpe to leave the apartment by 11pm that night. Thorpe’s attack started two minutes before the deadline, she stated.
Mr. Eva had started shouting and was “being horrible”, the defendant told police in a statement read out in court.
I picked up the crossbow, loaded it, went into the lounge and shot him through the head," the statement said.
I had a hammer in a sock and hit him 10 times with that. He was still groaning and
making a noise."
He also shot Mr Eva in the face with an air rifle and stabbed him in the stomach “just to make sure”.
Ashley Thorpe shot an arrow into the head of Alan Eva before attacking him with hammers, an air rifle and a knife as he lay groaning on the carpet, a British jury was told.
Thorpe later told police after making sure the 49-year-old was dead he "sat down and watched the telly".
After shooting arrows at Mr. Eva, hitting him in the head and heart, Thorpe used hammers to ram the bolts in "just as far as they could go, " the court was told. In between launching attacks on his victim he drank beer and smoked drugs, prosecutors said.
He was arrested after sending a picture of Mr. Eva's head with a crossbow bolt through it to a friend's mobile phone.
Thorpe has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Mr. Eva following a row at the victim's apartment.
Prosecutor Sarah Munro told the jury Thorpe had been staying with Mr. Eva, a supervisor at a local meat factory. She said the victim was killed after ordering Thorpe to leave the apartment by 11pm that night. Thorpe’s attack started two minutes before the deadline, she stated.
Mr. Eva had started shouting and was “being horrible”, the defendant told police in a statement read out in court.
I picked up the crossbow, loaded it, went into the lounge and shot him through the head," the statement said.
I had a hammer in a sock and hit him 10 times with that. He was still groaning and
making a noise."
He also shot Mr Eva in the face with an air rifle and stabbed him in the stomach “just to make sure”.
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