Lawrence Bierton

2 offences

What the court heard

He was found guilty of murder in Nottinghamshire on 9 November 2021. SENTENCING REMARKS OF THE HON. MR JUSTICE PEPPERALL 1. Lawrence Bierton, you are now 63 and have been convicted by this jury of the murder of Pauline Quinn. In reaching that verdict, the jury rejected your defence that your responsibility for killing Mrs Quinn was diminished by reason of your alcohol dependency disorder. Mrs Quinn is the third elderly and vulnerable woman that you have murdered in her own home. 2. The murder of Pauline Quinn was as senseless as it was brutal. On the afternoon of 9 November 2021, you surprised Mrs Quinn by leaping over the garden fence separating your two properties. You asked for money in order that you could buy alcohol. When she refused your request, you pushed her to the floor and pursued her into her own living room. Mrs Quinn activated the alarm cord in her bungalow in a desperate attempt to summon help. You then set about bludgeoning her to death with a wooden coffee table. The activation of the alarm cord automatically caused the system to make an audio recording. That recording captured a number of loud bangs which, I am sure upon the evidence, was part of your murderous attack on Mrs Quinn. You repeatedly targeted her head striking her with such force that she suffered – among other serious injuries - a comminuted fracture of the skull and significant brain damage. The defensive injuries to Mrs Quinn's arms indicate that at first she sought in vain to protect her head. Mrs Quinn will then have lost consciousness and death would have followed within no more than half an hour. In all, you caused 29 separate injuries. Expert evidence revealed that you struck her at least fourteen times; ten of which were to her head. 3. The severity of Mrs Quinn's head injuries, the extraordinary area over which blood was spattered, the sickening sound of wood being smashed over your victim's head, and the breaking of the light fitting indicate the ferocity with which you attacked this defenceless and disabled woman. I am satisfied so that I am sure that you used severe force lifting your weapon high above your head and repeatedly smashing it into Mrs Quinn's skull with as much force as you could muster. There is no doubt upon the evidence that you intended to kill your victim. 4. While some care is required in interpreting the audio recording, what is also clear is that there were long pauses between the bangs. Upon the evidence of that recording and the…

Aggravating and mitigating factors

Vulnerable victim; Protracted / prolonged - involving several acts of violence; Weapons / Use of weapon/s; Mental / Physical suffering / Harm caused

Around this case

• Nottingham Crown Court
• Prosecuted by CPS East Midlands
• Investigated by Nottinghamshire Police