Evil triple-killer battered neighbour to death with coffee table in horror frenzied attack

An evil triple killer who murdered his elderly neighbour after being wrongly housed next to her while on licence will spend the rest of his life in jail. Lawrence Bierton bludgeoned 73-year-old grandmother Pauline Quinn to death with her coffee table at her home in Rayton Spur, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, on November 9, 2021.

Bierton, 63, had been given accommodation in Rayton Spur while on licence from a life sentence for murdering two elderly sisters in 1995.

That decision was described by a Probation Service representative as “incorrect” in court and labelled a “significant mistake” by judge, Mr Justice Pepperall.

The defendant was found guilty of Ms Quinn’s murder after a two-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court, with the judge describing his third killing as “senseless as it was brutal”.

Mr Justice Pepperall said on sentencing Bierton today (Wednesday, December 20): “You have been found guilty of the senseless and brutal murder of three elderly and disabled women in their own homes.

“You showed each of the victims no mercy. (These were) sustained attacks in which you used extraordinary levels of violence. I am left in no doubt whatsoever that you must never again be given the opportunity to walk the streets. The only just sentence in this case is that you should remain in prison for the rest of your life.”

Bierton had been jailed for life at Sheffield Crown Court in 1996 for the killings of Aileen Dudill, 79, and Elsie Gregory, 73, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, the year before.

The pair were bludgeoned and suffocated by Bierton and a co-defendant before their bodies were set on fire. He was released on life licence in December 2017, but recalled to prison in July 2018 due to what prosecutor John Cammegh KC told jurors in the 2023 trial were “repeated failures to address his behaviour”.

He was released a second time in May 2020 and moved to Rayton Spur six months later. An “alcohol tag” to monitor Bierton’s drinking was removed eight months before Ms Quinn’s death after he complained of swelling to his legs.

Ms Quinn’s children said it was their mother’s “terrible misfortune” Bierton was re-housed next door to her, going on to murder their loved one in “the most brutal and pitiless way”.

Her son Tom Quinn and daughters Janice Quinn and Lisa Rummery said in a joint statement: “Pauline Quinn was a beloved mother, sister, and grandmother whose life was horrifically cut short by her brutal and senseless murder.

“We, her family, are tortured by the circumstances of her death. In what should have been the safety of her own home, our mother suffered a vicious and sustained attack.

“Her age and frailty meant she had no chance of defending herself. Seeing the details of the injuries she suffered was extremely distressing.”

They added: “Hearing a recording of her being beaten to death was hugely traumatising. It brought home the full horror of the attack and her utter helplessness before her assailant.

“The nature of our mother’s death has inflicted enormous and lasting damage on our whole family.

“We would prefer to remember our mother as the happy and caring person she was. Despite her frailty, she was determined to live life to the full.”

The Probation Service has said a serious case review into Bierton has been completed with findings to be shared with Ms Quinn’s family. There are no plans to share these publicly.

In court, the judge said it was a “significant mistake” for Bierton to be allowed to stay at Rayton Spur, a complex for elderly and vulnerable people.

Saika Jabeen, head of the Nottinghamshire county probation delivery unit, told the judge Bierton’s behaviour on his second release “appeared markedly improved”.

But the council worker said there were also unsubstantiated links to “Mamba (a synthetic cannabinoid) use and possible benefit fraud”.

She said “it was not appropriate for him (Bierton) to have been approved housing” at the complex, adding the decision was “incorrect” and a second, serious further offence review was also ongoing.

Ms Jabeen also said there was now “greater scrutiny” of accommodation decisions to ensure that decisions were “defensible”.

She added senior managers would apologise to the family on behalf of the Probation Service for the “serious oversights” in the case.

In his sentencing remarks, the judge said: “That decision (to house Bierton at Rayton Spur) was flawed and you should not have been housed among elderly and vulnerable residents. Ms Quinn was entitled to expect better, and the system plainly failed her.”

Det Insp Kaz Smithson from Nottinghamshire Police said after sentencing: “Bierton is a violent and dangerous criminal who will quite rightly spend a long time behind bars.

“This was an appalling crime that shocked the local community and devastated Pauline’s family and friends.

“As this case finally comes to an end, I would like to pay tribute to Pauline’s family, who have shown enormous dignity throughout the legal process.”