A builder has been given a life sentence after murdering a woman whose home he had been working on. Peter Norgrove admitted killing Sharon Gordon, who was found with severe head injuries by friends at her Bromford Road home in Dudley, on July 21 last year. She had died the previous day.
Norgrove, aged 43, was a recently-qualified bricklayer and his services had been recommended to Mrs Gordon by a friend at the church they both attended. The builder, from Sedgley, agreed to undertake extension work at Mrs Gordon’s property two years ago. However, the work was proving problematic and was taking many months to complete.
Friends of Mrs Gordon had tried contacting her to no avail before finding her at the foot of her stairs after calling at her home. West Midlands Police launched an investigation and quickly established Norgrove had been carrying out work at the property on the day she died.
He confirmed this in a witness statement. Norgrove claimed he had gone about his work as usual and Mrs Gordon was upstairs when he’d left for the day.
However, detectives found out Norgrove had lied about his actions after he had left, following extensive CCTV enquiries. Norgrove was subsequently arrested.
Camera footage from Mrs Gordon’s property captured on the day in question also showed Norgrove behaving in a manner that suggested he was involved in her death. Detectives traced his movements to a relative’s address, where they found blood-stained items in a wheelie bin.
Further searches of the address revealed a lump hammer hidden in a shed. And tests found traces of Mrs Gordon’s blood on it.
These traces were not immediately visible to the human eye. But a West Midlands Police dog – newly-trained in victim detection – beckoned officers to the hammer, and it was seized and tested. On July 26 last year, Norgrove was charged with Mrs Gordon’s murder.
He was remanded in custody and pleaded guilty to the offense at Wolverhampton Crown Court on December 4. Today, January 31, at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Norgrove was sentenced for killing Mrs. Gordon, with the judge ordering him to serve at least 15 years before being eligible for parole.
Detective Inspector Damian Forrest, who led the investigation, said, Mrs. Gordon tragically lost her life following a violent attack by Peter Norgrove, which appears to have stemmed from him losing his temper after a disagreement over the work he was carrying out. Mrs. Gordon’s friends and family have been deeply affected by her death, and while Norgrove has now faced the consequences of his appalling actions, our thoughts remain with them as they continue to grieve.
Mrs. Gordon’s family have spoken about the effect her death continues to have on them. In a statement, they said, We remain devastated at the loss of our beloved sister Sharon and our lives will never be the same again.
Sharon had much to live for, and no one could anticipate that renovating your home would end in murder. Sharon simply wanted to improve her home, but sadly she was brutally taken and will never enjoy any of its benefits.
We would like to thank the CPS and police for convicting the defendant so swiftly. We would like to request that you respect our privacy.
(Source: BirminghamLive)
