A London man has been found guilty of killing a plumber who was repairing a boiler in his home in Walworth.
William Treadwell (pictured), 68, bludgeoned Gary Amer six times over the head before stabbing him 30 times on 17 August 2018. Treadwell then covered the body of his victim with a sheet and eventually made his way to his local pub, where he dialled 999 to confess his crime.
Treadwell was found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Southwark Crown Court.
Plumber Gary Amer had been working to repair Treadwell’s 48-year-old boiler when the attack took place.
Prosecutor Timothy Cray QC said: “’The defendant attacked Mr Amer from behind while Mr Amer was working on the boiler. Mr Amer would have been unable to defend himself or to avoid the many blows which were inflicted.”
The attack, described by Cray as ‘sudden and overwhelming’, left the victim with multiple head wounds and stab wounds, but no defensive injuries.
The court heard that Treadwell was quoted £1350 to fix the boiler, which had broken down over the weekend, and he paid a £400 deposit. The defendant became agitated after he was told that the work would not be completed that week and concluded that Mr Amer was a rogue trader.
After the attack on Mr Amer, Treadwell took the bus to his daughter’s home and gave her £6500 in cash before going for ‘a last drink before turning himself in’.
