LEE FORD SENTENCED TO FIVE LIFE TERMS IN CARNKIE FOR MURDERING FAMILY

In May 2001, Lee Ford was sentenced to serve five life imprisonment terms after he confessed to the murders of his wife, Lesley Ford, aged 36, and her four children—Sarah Tranter, 17, Anne-Marie Tranter, 16, Steven Tranter, 14, and Craig Tranter, 13. The court learned that Ford, a former roofer and removal man, strangled the victims with a two-foot-long rope at their remote home near Helston, Cornwall, last August.

Prosecutor Nigel Pascoe QC described the crime as calculated and lacking motive, stating, "This was not a crime of passion but of savagery." He characterized the murders as "an enormous, pitiful tragedy and a tale of true horror." Evidence revealed that Ford had a history of violence within the marriage and a sexual relationship with his eldest stepdaughter, Sarah.

Ford told police that he killed his wife in their bedroom and the children in the kitchen, claiming, "There was no struggle. It was with a rope from behind and they did not know it was coming." He added, "That my own hands had done—what a piece of rope has done—to five people is unbelievable. I do not even understand why I did what I did. If I had planned to do what I did, there is no way I would have left them on the property with my kids there."

Defence QC Jamie Tabor explained that Ford felt isolated leading up to the murders, often locked in his garage watching television, fearing his wife would leave him with the children. Mr Tabor emphasized, "This utterly horrible and tragic event has no rational motive," noting Ford had dismissed psychiatric defenses.

Judge Mr Justice Hooper sentenced Ford to life imprisonment on each of the five murder counts. Ford, who wore a grey shirt and had a moustache, beard, and long hair, showed little emotion as he was taken away.

The court heard that Ford had engaged in a sexual relationship with Sarah after she turned 17, in March of the previous year, and that he was intensely jealous of her interactions with other young men. Prosecutor Pascoe highlighted that this jealousy reflected an excessively violent nature, with Ford unable to explain his motives.

Lesley Ford had previously sought legal protection through an injunction and occupation order due to her husband's violence and suspicions about his relationship with Sarah. It was noted that Lesley was likely very frightened of Ford in the months before her death and had contacted social services about her concerns, although no interview with Sarah occurred afterward.

The murders' timing was linked to mobile phone messages, with a final poignant message sent to Sarah on August 30—just a day before the killings—reading, "How are you? Still alive?" Ford was arrested a month later, admitting that he strangled each victim with a rope. He explained to police that a row with his wife about access to the children had caused him to 'flip.'

During interrogation, Ford confessed to smashing his wife in the face with a Rounders bat, then going to the garage where he found the rope. He described losing consciousness, only recalling her lying dead afterward.

Post-mortem examinations showed the victims had been strangled with such precision that there was little bruising or neck damage, indicating careful planning. The children’s bodies were found in the kitchen; Anne-Marie and Sarah dressed casually, while the boys and Lesley were in nightwear.

Following the murders, Ford attempted to cover his tracks by reburial. After police initially visited on September 30, he wrapped the decomposing bodies of Sarah and Anne-Marie in polythene, wore a face mask, and transferred them in his car from the woodshed to a field four miles away. On October 2, he reburied the bodies, then sent his younger children to stay with grandparents in Telford, Shropshire, intending to rebury the others.

His plans unraveled when he was arrested as he returned to Helston and questioned at Camborne police station. Police noted that without his arrest, Ford might have continued attempting to re-hide the bodies.

Prior to confessing, Ford engaged in an elaborate cover-up, cancelling job center appointments claiming food poisoning, telling friends his family had left him after a row, borrowing tools like a pickaxe to remove wood, and attempting to return a dog purchased earlier by his wife. He also moved his youngest child to a new school and tried to rekindle an old relationship, all while hiding the true extent of his crimes.

Prosecutor Pascoe summarized that the evidence demonstrated a clear attempt at concealment and manipulation, emphasizing the disturbing and calculated nature of the killings.