A heartless killer who controlled and took advantage of a defenseless father and former DJ in a prolonged period of torment and mistreatment has been sent to prison.
Ashley Crowder, aged 37, subjected Graham Cox, also 37, to abuse over several weeks before ultimately beating and strangling him to death in Bolton in March 2024.
Today at Bolton Crown Court, Crowder was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years after being convicted of murder, assault, and theft related to Mr. Cox back in June.
Mr. Cox’s lifeless body was found under cover on the sofa at Crowder’s residence in Farnworth on March 4, 2024. The Manchester Evening News states that Mr. Cox had multiple severe injuries, with 14 attributable to a weapon.
The court learned that Mr. Cox’s demise resulted from a series of cruel actions directed at the “severely disabled” and physically frail man, culminating in strangulation, an act which the judge stated Crowder carried out with the intent to kill.
During the initial part of his sentencing hearing on July 29, Crowder, taken to Bolton Crown Court, refused to enter the courtroom to hear statements from Mr. Cox’s family. He also declined to cooperate in police interrogations and opted not to testify during his trial.
On Thursday, as Judge Nicholas Clarke KC delivered the sentence, Crowder was absent from the dock, prompting Prosecutor Mukul Chawla KC to mention that Crowder was present but once again refused to appear in court.
Judge Clarke remarked that Mr. Cox’s relatives were deeply upset by Crowder’s conduct throughout the trial, highlighting Crowder’s lack of respect and consideration for both the family and the judicial process.
“At no stage did he display any empathy for the family’s pain or regret for his actions,” the judge stated.
Mr. Cox, once a talented footballer with Bolton Wanderers’ youth teams, also excelled as an artist, musician, and DJ, earning a music college scholarship in Manchester and securing a radio station role. He headlined events and produced his music.
As his health deteriorated, Mr. Cox, a long-term drug user, faced challenges from illness and addiction. In 2023, he had spinal implants due to an abscess and suffered a stroke, leaving him with left-side weakness.
Judge Clarke noted that by March 2024, Mr. Cox, left homeless when his flat became uninhabitable, was particularly vulnerable.
In the weeks leading up to February 2024, Mr. Cox was effectively confined at Crowder’s residence on Barton Walk, enduring threats for money, benefit thefts, and repeated beatings.
On February 24, 2024, Mr. Cox visited the Urban Care and Neighbourhood Centre (UCAN) in New Bury in a distressed state, bearing injuries and alleging he had been held captive by Crowder for two weeks.
“I was deprived of my money and regularly assaulted, sometimes without reason,” Mr. Cox reported.
The following day, following an anonymous tip about a man’s death due to severe beatings at a Barton Walk flat, officers were alerted.
Despite claiming he was about to call for help, Crowder failed to do so promptly upon killing Mr. Cox, displaying no compassion for the victim, but instead trying to conceal the death for self-preservation.
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Naismith, from Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team, emphasized that Graham Cox, a father and former DJ, was a cherished family member who ended up being exploited, abused, and viciously attacked by someone he trusted.
Naismith further expressed the hope that the sentencing would bring some solace to Mr. Cox’s family and underscore the commitment to pursuing justice for vulnerable individuals against exploitation and abuse.
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