Latest news with #DavidGarland
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pair brutally murdered father and dumped his body in caravan after mistakenly believing he was a paedophile
Two men have been found guilty of brutally murdering a father and dumping his body in a caravan after mistakenly believing he was a paedophile. Mark Roberts and David Garland were also guilty of conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler, while Jack Rance, Angus Warner, and Reuben Clare, were cleared of all charges at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday. Mr Wheeler, 37, had been friends with all five but his relationship with Roberts, to whom he owed £100, went downhill when the others saw an article about a man - also named Michael Wheeler - who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls. They were not the same person and prosecuting counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear the victim had no convictions for child sexual offences. Mr Wheeler was then attacked at Roberts's flat in Yeovil in the early hours of August 24, 2024, suffering multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures. His body was hidden, with Garland previously admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body. About three weeks after Mr Wheeler's death, police received information he had come to serious harm and began an investigation. One of the last sightings of him was on CCTV at a petrol station just a few hours before his death. Mark Roberts, pictured left, and David Garland, right, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler and await a sentencing hearing next week Officers carried out searches of several addresses and open spaces before finding the victim's remains in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington, Somerset on September 25. Detective Superintendent Lorett Spierenburg led the Major Crime Investigation Team enquiry into Mr Wheeler's murder and said after the verdict: 'Michael Wheeler was brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends. 'He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old. 'The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. 'Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter.' Mr Wheeler's mother was suffering from a terminal illness at the time of her son's disappearance and is said to have spent her last months under the shadow of his untimely death, before dying before the case came to court. The victim leaves a young daughter, ex-wife and sister. Roberts, 39, and Garland, 40, have been remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing, expected to be on June 13.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Two convicted of mistaken identity murder of Michael Wheeler
Two men have been convicted for "brutally" murdering their friend who they mistakenly believed to be a paedophile, police Wheeler, from Yeovil in Somerset, went missing in August 2024, and his remains were found by police a month Thursday, after a trial lasting more than five weeks, a jury at Bristol Crown Court found Mark Roberts and David Garland guilty of both murder and conspiracy to jury had been told that the two men had mistakenly believed Mr Wheeler, who also owed one of them £100, was a paedophile after reading news coverage about a man with the same name. Avon and Somerset Police Detective superintendent Lorett Spierenburg, who led the investigation, said they "took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter". The court heard Mr Wheeler was friends with the men and three others who were also charged over his relationship soured when the defendants found an online news report about a man – also called Michael Wheeler - who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls, police counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear to the court that the murdered man was not the same person, and had no convictions for child sexual offences. Mr Wheeler was attacked at Mark Roberts' flat in Juniper Close, Yeovil in the early hours of 24 August, the trial was suffered multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures, and his body was and Somerset Police said that three weeks later officers were tipped off that Mr Wheeler had come to "serious harm" and an investigation addresses and open spaces in Somerset were searched before his remains were found on farmland in Yarlington on 25 September. Det Sup Spierenburg said Mr Wheeler was "brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends". "He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old," he said."The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter."Roberts, 39, of Juniper Close, and Garland, 40, of no fixed abode, were remanded in custody ahead of being sentenced on 13 had previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body of Michael Rance, 28, of no fixed abode, Reuben Clare, 19, of Yeovil, and Angus Warner, 33, of Crewkerne, were all acquitted of any involvement in the murder.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monaghan's first-half goals help hold off Cork
Monaghan's three first-half goals gave them a sufficient cushion to beat Cork 3-16 to 1-15 in the Allianz Football League Division Two game at Inniskeen. Jack McCarron's seventh-minute penalty put Monaghan ahead and David Garland's major on 20 minutes extended the home side's advantage to 2-4 to 0-2. Ryan Wylie netted again for the Farney men on 25 minutes and they led 3-5 to 0-5 at half-time. Monaghan stretched the margin to 13 points by the 54th minute as they 3-12 to 0-8 before Cork hit an unanswered 1-4 which included a Mark Cronin penalty and he went on to finish with a 1-7 tally for the visitors. However Conor McCarthy and Ciaran McNulty responding with steadying points for Monaghan before Rory Beggan's third two-pointer of the second half rounded off the home win. Goalkeeper Beggan finished with 0-7 for Gabriel Bannigan's side. Monaghan's win moves them to six points alongside Division Two leaders Roscommon with Cork remaining in fourth place on fourth points.
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Monaghan's first-half goals help hold off Cork
Monaghan's three first-half goals gave them a sufficient cushion to beat Cork 3-16 to 1-15 in the Allianz Football League Division Two game at McCarron's seventh-minute penalty put Monaghan ahead and David Garland's major on 20 minutes extended the home side's advantage to 2-4 to 0-2. Ryan Wylie netted again for the Farney men on 25 minutes and they led 3-5 to 0-5 at half-time. Monaghan stretched the margin to 13 points by the 54th minute as they 3-12 to 0-8 before Cork hit an unanswered 1-4 which included a Mark Cronin penalty and he went on to finish with a 1-7 tally for the visitors. However Conor McCarthy and Ciaran McNulty responding with steadying points for Monaghan before Rory Beggan's third two-pointer of the second half rounded off the home Beggan finished with 0-7 for Gabriel Bannigan's win moves them to six points alongside Division Two leaders Roscommon with Cork remaining in fourth place on fourth points.
