Carlisle man guilty of murdering army veteran

A security guard from Carlisle has been found guilty of killing an army veteran and hiding his body in the woods.

Jack Crawley, 20, was found guilty of murdering Paul Taylor on 21 October 2024, following the trial at Carlisle Crown Court. He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of a second man.

Katie Marsden, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Jack Crawley carried out vicious attacks on two men.

“The Crown Prosecution Service worked with Cumbria Constabulary and North Yorkshire Police to build a strong case, piecing together the forensic evidence, CCTV footage and phone location data to show that Crawley murdered Paul Taylor and attempted to murder a second man.

“My thoughts remain with Paul Taylor’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. I can only hope that the verdict will give them some sense of justice.”

Details of the case

Paul Taylor, 56, left his home in Annan Scotland on 17 October 2023. He travelled to Carlisle where he met with Jack Crawley who he had communicated with online.

Crawley met with Paul Taylor and fatally assaulted him. Crawley then placed Mr Taylor’s body out of sight in a nearby wooded area.

Crawley took possession of Mr Taylor’s car and attempted to sell it to different people without success.

Two days later Crawley collected Mr Taylor’s car from Green Lane, in Carlisle, and drove it towards Appleby.

Crawley crashed the car in the village of Langwathby and fled the area.

On 15 November 2023, Crawley was arrested. During his police interview, he gave a prepared statement saying he did not know Paul Taylor and refused to comment further.

Crawley was bailed whilst the investigation continued.

When the vehicle was recovered a large amount of blood was found inside and outside of the boot which was later matched to Mr Taylor.

Whilst on police bail, on 5 January 2024, Crawley travelled to York where he attempted to murder a second man by viciously attacking him with a hammer.

The man he attacked suffered wounds which were later glued at hospital.

Crawley was arrested in Bristol on 2 February 2024. During his police interview in relation to the incident in York, he claimed he was acting in self-defence when he hit the man with a hammer.

On 1 May 2024 Crawley told the police where to find Paul Taylors body, which was recovered from Finglandrigg Wood, near Carlisle. It was clear that attempts had been made to burn Mr Taylor’s body.

The postmortem confirmed at least 10 separate impacts on Mr Taylor's head and two to his left arm. A specific cause of death could not be determined due to the passage of time but is likely to have been caused by blows to the head.

Crawley will be sentenced on 23 October 2024.

Detective Superintendent Ian Hussey was the senior investigating officer (SIO) in the investigation. Speaking after the verdict he said: “Paul was tragically killed after suffering an assault at the hands of Jack Crawley. He was a much-loved father, husband, brother and friend who will I know will be missed by many.

"Crawley refused to admit to the brutal murder of Paul instead pleading guilty to manslaughter claiming his death was the result of a car theft gone wrong, however after a jury heard the evidence gathered against him, they found him guilty of murder.

“I would like to thank the members of the jury who have listened carefully and watched all of the evidence presented to them surrounding this shocking incident.

“I would also like to thank our colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service and prosecuting counsel David McLachlan KC and Will Beardmore for the manner in which the case has been prepared and delivered at trial.

“I must also take this opportunity to thank and praise the dedicated team of officers and staff from Cumbria Constabulary who have worked round the clock on this investigation for many months. They have shown great skill and professionalism throughout.

“Part of the investigation also saw us work closely with our colleagues in North Yorkshire Police who led the manhunt to locate Crawley after he fled from Cumbria. I’d like to commend our colleagues in North Yorkshire for their outstanding work on this complex case which has helped us deliver justice for the victims of Jack Crawly and their families.

"Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Paul’s family. They have been dignified throughout the course of the investigation and our thoughts remain with them all.

“We know that no outcome at court will ever serve as comfort to Paul’s family and friends, but I do hope that the verdict today will offer a small amount of closure for them, knowing that we have brought Crawley to justice.”