Family of pensioner beaten to death by thug slam killer's 'insulting' sentence

Daily Mirror

20-05-2025

Vile Jake Saunders starts his first full day behind bars today but the family of his brave victim, Anthony Jacob, say they are 'disgusted' by the length of his sentence
The family of a brave pensioner who was beaten to death by a vicious thug say they are "disgusted and insulted" by the sentence handed to his killer. Anthony Jacob confronted drunken Jake Saunders when he found him jumping up and down on a Volkswagen van in the street.
The 19-year-old turned on Mr Jacob and spent 10 minutes brutally beating him in a barbaric attack. The 75-year-old had every bone in his face broken leaving him unrecognisable to his own family. Saunders was handed a life sentence for murder but told he will serve a minimum 15 years before he can be considered for parole. But Mr Jacob's daughter Tina stormed out of the court in disgust at the sentence. Afterwards she slammed the justice system and said the sentence was an insult to her father.
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She said: "There is absolutely no peace here, he should've got a lot more, it's an insult to my innocent dad, he did nothing wrong. Disgusted." The 'utterly brutal and senseless' attack happened on December 10 last year on Abbotsbury Road in Weymouth, Dorset.
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Saunders was drunk and upset at the time after his girlfriend had split up with him that day. He took out his anger by smashing up a random VW Transporter van. Mr Jacob, a retired bricklayer and much-loved community stalwart, was walking home from the pub at the time and tried to stop Saunders.
Edward Culver, prosecuting, said: "[A witness] saw Jake Saunders throwing Anthony Jacob against the van before pushing him down, punching him on the floor, kicked him in the face.
"He stamped on his head before repeatedly jumping on his head. At one point he bent down, grabbing him and throwing his head down on the floor. By then Mr Jacob was no longer moving, he didn't retaliate to the onslaught he faced.
"Jake Saunders repeatedly picked him up and slammed him back down to the ground." Mr Jacob had a total of 30 different injuries and suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries nine days later.
Saunders was arrested a short time after the attack and assaulted three police officers. He pleaded guilty to Mr Saunders' murder as well as three counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker.
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Bournemouth Crown Court heard moving victim impact statements from several family members, including Mr Jacob's brother and daughters. His brother Gordon Jacob said "there's no justice, just pain".
He said: "I couldn't have wished for a better brother. But my precious memories are now all tainted by how he died. "n the end, those things I loved and respected of him got him killed.
"When they took us to see him I told them they had taken us to the wrong bed. I had no recognition of the man in front of me."
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Daughter Teresa Green said: "My dad was a good man, who enjoyed a simple life. He never did any one any harm. He was just walking home and doing the right thing. He did nothing to deserve what happened to him.
"I couldn't recognise my own dad. His face, so swollen and bruised, will haunt me for ever. It is completely sickening." Nick Robinson, defending, said Saunders was genuinely remorseful.
He read a letter written by Saunders to the court and Mr Jacob's family which said: "I am truly sorry for my disgusting actions. I'm sorry for taking his life and destroying your family. Every day I wish I could go back and change what has happened, not for myself, but for you."
Judge Susan Evans KC said: "The loss of Tony Jacob has been utterly devastating to his family. There's nothing this court can do that can begin to make up for his tragic loss.
"He did what a particularly courageous and decent member of the public would do when presented with someone carrying out wanton criminal damage. Despite being 75 years of age, he challenged you. He was walking away when you cowardly attacked him from behind. He was plainly unconscious and unresponsive."
She said Saunders did pose a high risk of danger to the public and handed him a life sentence in a young offenders' institute with a minimum of 15 years before he is eligible to be considered for release.