Man, 20, guilty of murdering army veteran and ‘much-loved father’ he met on Grindr

A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of bludgeoning an army veteran he met though Grindr to death with a hammer, as well as the attempted murder of another man he met on the gay app.

On Monday (21 October), following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court, Jack Crawley, of no fixed address, was found guilty of murdering 56-year-old Paul Taylor who went missing almost exactly a year ago and whose remains were found buried in a shallow grave in woodland months later.

Security guard Crawley was also found guilty of attempted murder after trying to kill another man in North Yorkshire in January, in a similar attack.

The court heard that Taylor left home in Annan, Scotland, where he lived with his wife Maria, on 17 October 2023 and travelled to Carlisle to meet Crawley. The two men had previously met to have sex.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that after Crawley hit Taylor in the head 10 times with the hammer, he hid the body in Finglandrigg Wood, in Cumbria. There were attempts to burn the remains.

Crawley, who admitted manslaughter but denied murder, claimed Taylor was fatally injured when he fell during a struggle as he tried to steal his car, and inflicted the skull and face fractures with a hammer to break up his victim’s body.

He also tried to explain away defence injuries on Taylor’s arms, saying they resulted from him shutting the car boot on him. He took the car and later abandoned it in the village of Langwathby.

Crawley told the court he hoped setting Taylor’s body alight would make it “disappear” adding: “I thought his body would crumble”, The Times reported.

In January, while on bail, Crawley tried to kill a second man he had met on Grindr. The victim suffered wounds which had to be glued together in hospital.

Following the verdict, detective superintendent Ian Hussey said: “Paul was tragically killed after suffering an assault at the hands of Jack Crawley. He was a much-loved father, husband, brother and friend who I know will be missed by many.

“Crawley refused to admit to the brutal murder of Paul instead pleading guilty to manslaughter, claiming his death was the result of a car theft gone wrong. However, after a jury heard the evidence gathered against him, they found him guilty of murder.

“I would like to thank the members of the jury who listened carefully and watched all the evidence presented to them surrounding this shocking incident.

“Part of the investigation saw us work closely with our colleagues in North Yorkshire Police who led the manhunt to locate Crawley after he fled from Cumbria. I’d like to commend [them] for their outstanding work on this complex case which has helped us deliver justice.

“Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Paul’s family. They have been dignified throughout the course of the investigation and our thoughts remain with them all.

“We know that no outcome at court will ever serve as comfort to Paul’s family and friends, but I do hope that the verdict today will offer a small amount of closure for them, knowing that we have brought Crawley to justice.”

Family ‘torn apart’ by loss of Taylor

Describing Crawley’s crimes as vicious, senior prosecutor Katie Marsden said: “The Crown Prosecution Service worked with Cumbria Constabulary and North Yorkshire Police to build a strong case, piecing together the forensic evidence, CCTV footage and phone location data to show that Crawley murdered Paul Taylor and attempted to murder a second man.

“My thoughts remain with Paul Taylor’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.”

Taylor’s family issued a statement in which they said: “Our lives and world were completely torn apart with the murder of Paul. To us, he was a husband and a dad, gentle and loving.

“For many years Paul worked to protect his country, giving up time being a husband and father. Losing Paul in these circumstances and the torment and hurt this has caused has been horrendous and indescribable.

A second man, Marcus Goodfellow, 20, from Carlisle, was acquitted of assisting an offender.

Jack Crawley will be sentenced on Wednesday (23 October).