Convicted double killer guilty of murdering again

A man who was jailed for killing two men, including his brother, in 2001 has now been found guilty of murdering his neighbour.

Wendy Buckney, a retired horse riding instructor, became Brian Whitelock's third victim when he killed her in Clydach, Swansea county, in August 2022.

Swansea Crown Court heard Whitelock used a knife, table leg and items of shelving to kill Ms Buckney.

A jury took less than half an hour to reach its verdict.

The jury retired to consider its verdict just after 15:00 GMT, with Mr Justice Griffiths telling members: "Take all the time you want... you are under no pressure."

They took around 15 minutes, and Whitelock will be sentenced on 20 December.

Looking ahead to that, Mr Justice Griffiths said: "There is only one sentence for murder and that is life, but we have to set a minimum term."

Whitelock had admitted the manslaughter of Ms Buckney, in August 2022 on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but denied murder.

The pair had been neighbours, and Ms Buckney, who was 71, had paid the defendant to perform odd jobs around her home.

The court heard how her family were concerned about him working for her, but she had told them: "Everyone deserves a second chance."

in a 999 recording, the defendant can be heard calling his victim "the nicest person in the world", adding: "I just snapped, there's no reason I killed her."

Chris Rees KC, prosecuting, said Mrs Buckney “must have suffered greatly” due to “multiple blunt and sharp force injuries".

He added there were too many stab wounds for the pathologist to accurately count.

The defendant was convicted of killing two men including his own brother in 2001 and he had been released from prison after a life sentence.

Mr Rees said he killed 34-year-old Nicky Morgan with a pick axe or hammer after a drink and drug-fuelled argument.

He then went to a local garage, returning with a jerry can of petrol which he poured over him and lit a fire.

His brother Glen was sleeping upstairs and died of smoke inhalation.

The family of another Whitelock victim said they “knew he would kill again".

Melanie Huxley, the sister of Nicky Morgan, said he “should never be released from prison.”

DCI Matthew Davies, who led the investigation, described Whitelock as a “monster”.