2018: 'EVIL' ADRIAN JENKINS JAILED FOR MURDER OF JULIE FOX AT HER WORCESTER HOME
GREED was the financial motive for a man who has been jailed for life for murdering a disabled woman in Worcester.Adrian Jenkins was convicted and sentenced to the murder of Julie Fox, the neighbour he had befriended, following a three week trial.
The 51-year-old, who had cerebral palsy, was discovered dead at her Carnforth Drive home on Wednesday, December 27 last year.
That evening Jenkins' brother raised concerns after not seeing her for a few days and went with Jenkins to go check on her, when the body was found.
Jenkins called an ambulance to Ms Fox's bungalow on Carnforth Drive, stating he was her neighbour and was with his brother, who had found her collapsed inside.
When paramedics attended, they noted a strong smell of gas emanating from her property and tragically found Ms Fox deceased in the hallway.
A post-mortem confirmed she had died from a blunt force head injury.
A murder investigation was launched and on January 2, Jenkins was arrested.
Forensic evidence recovered from Ms Fox's bungalow and extensive analysis of CCTV, mobile phone and wi-fi data all pointed towards him as the offender, which led to officers charging him.
The investigation established that on December 21, Jenkins had taken Ms Fox to Ombersley where she had asked to visit.
The next day she was visited by her carer and was described as in good spirits, speaking about looking forward to going back to Ombersley with Jenkins on Christmas Eve for midnight mass.
Soon after Ms Fox's carer left, Jenkins left his bungalow alone.
CCTV footage captured him driving along Carnforth Drive passing Julie's bungalow twice before parking up in Ennerdale Close.
He then walked to Julie's bungalow and let himself in through the front door just after 7.15pm, where he remained inside the property until just after 9.50pm.
Ms Fox's handbag was also found to be missing from the property, and despite numerous appeals it was never found.
Jenkins pleaded not guilty to the murder, but was today found guilty by a unanimous verdict and sentenced to life, with the 44-year-old told he would be serving a minimum of 33 years in prison.
Following the verdict, Ms Fox's brother said: "My sister Julie was a vulnerable disabled woman who was unable to defend herself from the callous cowardly attack.
She lived alone and was befriended by Jenkins, who took this opportunity to rob Julie of money and her life.
My mum and I would like to thank everyone who has brought this evil man to justice, in particular the officers involved in the investigation, as well as the technical and support staff." Detective Chief Inspector Leighton Harding, the senior investigating officer, said: "Julie Fox was a popular and well known woman in Worcester, and her death during the Christmas period shocked the community.
Adrian Jenkins committed the most brutal murder on a defenceless, vulnerable woman and tried unsuccessfully to disguise his crime for five days whilst he carried on as normal over the Christmas period.
During this time he paid off debts and bought Christmas gifts.
There was no limit to the depth of depravity he would sink to in order to get away with murder - even placing members of the public and emergency services at risk of harm by turning on the gas hobs of the cooker on in an attempt to cause an explosion.
Despite his apparent acts of goodwill for Julie, it was clear he used their friendship and her reliance on him to exploit her vulnerability for his own financial gain.
His motive for murder was financial greed." "In the time Jenkins was in Julie's home, he brutally attacked and murdered her, showing a total lack of regard for human life.
He has been today found guilty of this horrific crime and this dangerous man will now face justice.
Our thoughts remain with Julie's family and friends as they continue to come to terms with her death.
Whilst no length of sentence can ever ease the pain felt by Julie's loss, I hope that today's verdict and sentence will provide a small sense of closure for her family.
I would like to thank the witnesses for their valuable contribution in giving evidence in the case and the local community for their support.
Finally, I would also like to thank all of the officers, staff and our partner agencies for their professionalism and commitment throughout this complex investigation."
