Man's ‘haunting' final gesture before grandson killed him

Perth Now

7 days ago

A man's final plea for help before the violent assault from his own grandson that killed him has been captured on camera.
The moments leading up to the brutal attack which killed John Brown, 81, were recorded by at home CCTV cameras installed to protect against the very person who assaulted him.
His grandson, Jakob Walpole, 33, seriously injured the elderly man at his home in Bulkington, Warwickshire on November 23, 2024.
After a three week trial, the jury found Walpole was guilty of manslaughter, and of assaulting two other victims at a nearby working men's club, but was acquitted of murder.
Mr Brown was a frail man, and had been diagnosed with dementia not long before the attack. Michael Duck KC, a prosecutor for the case, told the Warwick Crown Court that the grandfather was 'plainly a vulnerable individual', The Mirror reported.
His family were concerned about his well-being.
The court was told that relatives had been worried about Walpole's 'deteriorating' behaviour since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, Mr Brown's daughter installed security cameras in his St James Gardens home. John Brown, 81, died from head injuries after his grandson attacked him. Credit: Supplied
Walpole had been heavily drinking on the day of the attack, having purchased a bottle of vodka that morning.
He attacked Mr Brown and inflicted fatal head injuries, which caused his death six days later.
Walpole then continued his spree of violent assaults at the nearby Bulkington Working Men's Club, where he attacked two further victims.
The club's CCTV footage captured him smashing a glass over the back of another customer's head before he also assaulted a bar worker.
After these physical assaults, Walpole was removed from the club.
During the trial, jurors were presented CCTV footage from Mr Brown's home.
Jurors were asked to assess whether Walpole had intended to cause serious harm to Mr Brown, and were shown CCTV footage of him making a 'haunting' gesture towards the camera for help prior to the attack.
Mr Duck told the jury that they could consider that the action was 'a gesture of desire for assistance'.
After the case was finalised, Natalie Kelly of the Crown Prosecution Service said Walpole 'carried out a senseless and brutal attack on his own grandfather who had tried to help him'.
'He showed no concern or remorse following the attack. Rather than call for help, he callously left his vulnerable and elderly grandfather severely injured and went to a local pub where he assaulted two further elderly victims,' she said.
Mr Brown was known in his community for his expertise in vintage cars, having run a successful car repair business.
Ms Kelly said Walpole had taken advantage of Mr Brown's kindness.
'While this conviction ensures Walpole is held accountable for his actions, the family have been left with a deep and lasting pain that no justice can erase,' she said.
Walpole will be sentenced next Monday.