James Hughes, a 67-year-old former jeweller from north Wales, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his neighbour, Harry Turner, 68, on Christmas Day morning last year. The killing, which stemmed from a long-running noise dispute at the Old Palace Flats in St Asaph, was captured on a dictaphone that Hughes himself operated, providing damning evidence of the attack.
Background to the dispute
Hughes and Turner lived next door to each other in the sheltered accommodation complex. Their relationship had deteriorated significantly over time, with Turner lodging complaints about noise from Hughes, including banging on walls and railings and disturbances during the night. On Christmas Eve, tensions escalated, leading to a series of threatening messages from Turner.
At 5.15am on Christmas morning, Turner left a voicemail for Hughes, saying: 'I want you to f*** off, that's what I want. I'm going to make you f*** off and I am going to get you. You're mine, you're f***** with the wrong person. Good night, sleep tight.' Later that morning, Neil Jones recorded footage in which Turner used abusive and threatening language, threatening to knock Hughes out and saying: 'If you go for it I'll go for you any time.'
Hughes' calls for help
Hughes contacted North Wales Police twice that morning. At 8.47am, he reported that Turner had been banging on his door since 11pm and had been shouting and arguing. At 9.04am, he called again and played the voicemail message left by Turner to the call handler. At 11.03am, Turner left a voicemail on the community house manager's phone, saying he was at the end of his tether and at breaking point and was going to hurt somebody.
Shortly after, a physical altercation occurred outside Hughes' flat. Judge Nicklin, delivering the sentence at Caernarfon Crown Court, stated: 'I proceed on the basis Mr Turner began that physical altercation and that is significant. The defendant did not go looking for violence that day. The confrontation took place outside the defendant's flat after he had called the police and after threats had been made by Mr Turner.'
The dictaphone recording
The central piece of evidence was the dictaphone recording made by Hughes, which captured the entire incident. On the recording, Turner can be heard saying: 'Get off me, I can't breathe.' Hughes responded: 'What a f****** shame, do you want me to hurt you again? You can f****** die for all I care, I don't give a f***.' Hughes repeatedly struck Turner with his walking stick and sat on him, causing his death.
After the attack, Hughes returned to his flat, turned on the radio, and prepared a hot beverage. He then called his nephew, with the dictaphone still recording, and said: 'I think I may have killed someone.' When he eventually contacted an ambulance, he told emergency call handlers that he believed Turner may have suffered a heart attack, saying: 'I hit him with my stick and he fell and he banged himself against the window.'
Post-mortem and sentencing
A post-mortem examination determined that Turner died from asphyxia and had sustained blunt force trauma to his face and head. Hughes denied both murder and manslaughter but was found guilty of murder by a jury last month. At his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Judge Nicklin handed Hughes a life sentence with a minimum term of 13 years, deducting 185 days spent on remand. The judge described Hughes' response as 'angry, callous and cruel' and noted that the murder was not premeditated but that Hughes disregarded Turner's pleas.
In mitigation, Gordon Cole KC, representing Hughes, stated that his client had been the victim of serious crime in South Africa on several occasions and was in poor physical health. Cole noted that Hughes had contacted the police twice seeking help and had no prior convictions, adding that he would 'serve the remaining years of his life in prison' due to his ill health.
Police reaction
Detective Chief Inspector Eleri Thomas of North Wales Police said: 'This was a senseless murder which was borne out of a dispute between two retired neighbours. Through his persistent, antagonistic actions, James Hughes drove Mr Turner to a confrontation at the door of his flat, and despite Mr Turner's pleas that he couldn't breathe, Hughes continued to sit on his chest and proceeded to strike his head with his walking stick. His recording of the attack and subsequent conversations afterwards were damning as to his guilt, and whilst Mr Turner's family may never be able fully comprehend why this tragic incident happened, I hope we have provided them with some form of justice and closure today.'
