FARNHAM PUPPY FARM MURDERER JOHN LOWE CONVICTED
An 82-year-old man from Farnham, John Lowe, was found guilty of murdering his partner, Christine Lee, and her daughter, Lucy Lee, following a shooting incident at his Surrey puppy farm.Lowe denied involvement in the murders, insisting that both deaths were unintended and described the event as a 'terrible accident.' However, the jury at Guildford Crown Court rejected this defense, believing that Lowe intended to harm the women, stating he wanted them 'put down.' The police had taken guns from Lowe almost a year before the incident but then returned them; this decision was later criticized after two separate reports concluded that the process was not compliant with national standards.
Christine Lee was shot in the chest at close range, and Lucy Lee was shot in the back of the head—both dying from their wounds.
Lucy Lee had made a frantic emergency call, saying, 'I don’t know if I’m going to be alive if I go back in there.
He shot my mum.' The trial also highlighted Lowe's troubled relationship with the victims, described as a 'love-hate relationship.' Lowe claimed he never intended to kill them and that his gun fired accidentally, possibly because of his arthritis.
Following the conviction, Lucy Lee’s sister spoke about her sister’s bravery and the heartbreaking loss, criticizing Lowe for 'brutally and deliberately' murdering her family members.
Sentencing is set for October 31 at Guildford Crown Court, with community members and relatives expressing sorrow and outrage over the outcome.
