A father and son convicted of murdering a thief in a vigilante attack with a ninja sword and a knife have been jailed.
David King and his son Edward killed Neil Charles after being alerted by CCTV that a thief appeared to be operating in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Mr Charles – who had a number of previous convictions for theft and burglary – had been trying to open doors on cars and houses on the night he was fatally stabbed in June 2021, Suffolk Police said.
The Kings – who had a “fascination with weapons” – made no attempt to contact police before carrying out the killing and “went out to take the law into their own hands”, the force added.
After they were convicted of murder following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court, both men were given life sentences by a judge on Monday.
David King was jailed for at least 21 years, while his son Edward received a minimum prison term of 19 years.
The two men showed no reaction as they were led to the cells.
Deadly blow from double-edged fighting knife
On the night of the murder, David King armed himself with a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger, which was used to inflict the fatal wound on Mr Charles.
Tesco worker Edward King – who was 18 at the time of the killing – brought a 27-inch ninja sword that wounded Mr Charles above his left knee during the attack.
The sword was also used to stab the tyre of the victim’s pushbike, which he left at the scene.
Police said Mr Charles was some distance from the Kings’ property and was heading away from it when the father and son caught up with him.
A post-mortem found the 47-year-old, from Bury St Edmunds, died from a single 12cm stab wound to his chest.
David King made a 999 call shortly before 4am on 20 June 2021, telling police a man had been trying to steal from his car on the Moreton Hall estate.
He said he had tried to apprehend the alleged thief who had run off.
He also admitted having a knife in his hand and told the operator that the man claimed he was injured by the weapon before he had fled.
Officers found David King in Winsford Road, away from his address and where the stabbing took place.
The victim was discovered in another part of Winsford Road and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital but died two days later.
Kings had ‘clear intent’ to take on criminals
David King was arrested at the scene, while Edward was detained by police later that day.
Suffolk Police said analysis of the Kings’ text messages revealed they had “a fascination with weapons and, following previous thefts in the area, a clear intent and desire to deal with any perceived criminals themselves”.
The father and son, both of Radnor Close in Bury St Edmunds, were re-arrested in October 2021 and were charged with murder.
During their trial, David King, 56, and his 20-year-old son Edward denied intentionally killing Mr Charles.
David King claimed he had disturbed Mr Charles in the act of trying to break into his car and the suspected thief had run into his knife.
However, prosecutors said the two men had actively gone out together to “hunt down and attack Mr Charles in what can only be described as an act of vigilantism”, Suffolk Police said.
A jury found David and Edward King guilty of murder by a unanimous verdict in May last year.
Murder victim ‘kind and gentle’
Teaching assistant Linnet Booth, the sister of Mr Charles, said in a victim impact statement that he was a “kind and gentle person” who was “never aggressive and always one to retreat when he didn’t like a situation”.
She said he had been due to marry his fiancee Michelle Jackson in August 2021.
“We know he took the wrong path in life but he wasn’t violent or aggressive and that night he was simply trying to get away,” said Ms Booth.
Ms Jackson described Mr Charles as “loving, caring and kind”.
Heather King, the wife of David King and mother of Edward King, said in a statement that they were “in the process of appealing” against the convictions.
