'Evil' fugitive living 'off-grid', who murdered mother-of-six while she was walking dog, jailed for life

Roy Barclay, 56, subjected 57-year-old Anita Rose to "numerous kicks, stamps and blows" as she walked her springer spaniel Bruce in Brantham, Suffolk, on July 24, 2024.

The mother-of-six was found by passers-by but died in hospital four days later.

Barclay, who denied murder but was found guilty following an earlier trial at Ipswich Crown Court, was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday.

He had previously been convicted and jailed over a 2015 attack on a pensioner. Prosecutors said this bore similarities to the attack on Ms Rose.

Barclay had been released from prison in February 2020 but had not been living at a fixed address.

He had been wanted on recall at the time of his attack on Ms Rose over a breach of his licence conditions.

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It is understood the Probation Service issued a recall notice for Barclay following a breach of his licence conditions.

Suffolk Police said there would be a review of information-sharing processes.

'Off-grid'

Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC earlier told the court that Barclay "lived mostly in the countryside, wandering the fields and lanes, sleeping in various makeshift camps".

"He lived off-grid because for two years Roy Barclay had been unlawfully at large," said Mr Paxton.

"He had been on the run trying to avoid the police and authorities to try and avoid being recalled back to prison."

Jurors were told that Barclay had previously pleaded guilty over a separate incident in 2015 to grievous bodily harm with intent over an attack on an 82-year-old man in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex.

The pensioner, Leslie Gunfield, had told Barclay that he would inform security about him going through rubbish bins at a Co-op supermarket, the court heard.

Mr Gunfield was left with serious injuries to his head and required 10 titanium plates for fractures he suffered after being attacked by Barclay.

'Nightmare we can't wake up from'

Jessica Cox, whose mother Anita Rose was murdered by Roy Barclay, told Ipswich Crown Court that Barclay had not shown any remorse.

Fighting back tears as she read her victim impact statement, Ms Cox said: "He has put us through a nightmare which we can't wake up from.

"I don't feel he has shown any remorse.

"I believe he's cunning and I believe he's enjoyed what he's done and the trial itself.

"He hasn't had to face us, he hasn't had to face the consequences of what he's done or what he's done to us."

'Evil'

Continuing to read her victim impact statement Ms Cox said that what Roy Barclay had done was "evil".

"He's not answered why he did what he did," said Ms Cox.

"What he's done is horrific and it's evil.

"He's given no reason why he's changed our lives forever.

"We will never have the answers we deserve as a family."

'Unpredictable'

Judge Martyn Levett described Roy Barclay, who murdered dogwalker Anita Rose, as "someone prone to dangerous outbursts at the slightest confrontation".

He described Barclay as "unpredictable".

"Due to your silence in police interviews, and you choosing not to give evidence in your defence, we will perhaps never know what triggered this outburst of horrific violence," the judge said.

He said that it "may have been her challenging what you were doing".