When Paul Jefferies’ corpse was discovered, investigators counted over 40 injuries on the customs official, including a slashed throat.
As The Standard reports, the 52-year-old was found naked with a tea towel tied around his head.
He was slumped across the kitchen floor at his home in East Sussex, where he’d moved from London after a romantic relationship dissolved.
Related: Horrific Murder Case Of Grindr Date That Ended In Cannibalism
On February 23, 18-year-old Ben Bamford murdered Jefferies with intent to rob him in order to pay off a £400 drug debt.
During his trial, Bamford denied murder, arguing that Jefferies had “come on to him” and he was protecting himself from his advances.
Bamford remained stoic as the verdict was announced after three hours of deliberation.
He’d met Jefferies through Grindr two years prior, when he was just 15. They picked up contact again in December 2015.
Little did Jefferies know that the young man was “desperate” to settle his drug debts and being pressured by a drug dealer.
Related: Remorseless Confession Of Grindr Catfisher May Send Chill Down Your Spine
He told the court he’d hoped Jefferies would give him money, as he’d done during previous encounters.
The reason he stabbed Jefferies, he claimed, was because he “got on top of me.”
He said the man continued having sex with him despite his protests.
Leaving the older man for dead, he drove his Audi TT to pick up a friend on the way to Eastbourne District General Hospital.
Jurors were given a selfie of Bamford, in which he flicked off his middle finger from a hospital bed. He claims he harmed himself in order to avoid police involvement.
Annmarie Bamford, the murderer’s mother, told jurors she was “dumbfounded” when he told her he’d killed someone while recuperating from his injuries.
“I kept saying that I need to know what’s happening,” she said. “And then he shouted, ‘I think I’ve killed somebody.'”
She went online to find anything that corroborated his story, and eventually came across a report of Jefferies’ death.
After the verdict, Detective Chief inspector Tanya Jones issued a statement:
This was a horrific attack by a teenage boy who preyed on his victim with the aim of exploiting him for money.
The level of violence he inflicted on Paul Jefferies was extreme and then he fled the scene in his victim’s car. He showed no remorse, smirking for a selfie photo just hours later.
However, the jury did not believe his story.
“Although this can never undo what he has done, I hope it will bring some justice for Paul’s family, friends and colleagues.”
According to friends, Jefferies was a “warm and humorous man.”
Adrian Cooper, deputy director of specialist personal tax at HMRC, described him as “a highly valued colleague and friend.”
ChrisK
I’m glad the jury didn’t buy the shitheads story. He’ll be regretting that pic for the rest of his life. I don’t feel too sorry for the victim either who had no business having sexual relations with a drug addicted 15 yo kid.
Teva
Filthy,dirty VOID of a creature who is without doubt going to be very popular in prison.
ErikO
@ChrisK: Well said.
Tobi
@ChrisK: He was 17 when they had sex. The age of consent in the UK is 16.
ChrisK
@Tobi: “He’d met Jefferies through Grindr two years prior, when he was just 15. They picked up contact again in December 2015.”
Tobi
@ChrisK: Yes, but they didn’t have sex, until they met up again two years later, according to Bamford.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@Tobi: You’re not going to change his mind. He was 15 in the mind of this person. Period. Just move along.
ChrisK
@Tobi: @Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: Yeah, I’m sure they just got together off Grindr to bake cupcakes. Think about it. For Bamford to admit to this would’ve destroyed his case.
ChrisK
Any prior sexual history must be denied to prove the gay panic defense. I’ve seen this time and time again in situations like this.
Danny279
Another Grindr success story! Hookup apps and promiscuity are so liberating and life-affirming! /smh/
Tobi
@ChrisK: I was surprised Bamford didn’t claim Jeffries slept with him whilst he was under the age of consent, if you’d stopped to think about it for a second, it would have helped his defence, he could have claimed a history of abuse at the hands of Jeffries.
abnerbha
@ChrisK: @Teva: @Tobi:
This case was manslaughter because the victim was a pedophile who abused the teenage boy, who reacted to the abuse. Yes, the boy damaged his credibility by taking a photo, which made him look arrogant to the jury. But the victim was a pedophile. Chances are that he gave this teenage boy drugs & sexually abused him. It’s not surprising that the killer didn’t say that the victim sexually abused him because most boys who are victims of gay pedophiles are too shy to talk about this. Likely, the victim sexually abused other teenage boys & as the victim was a gay pedophile, we must care more about the boys he victimized, than his death.
I would rather have a case where a jury decides if a man’s reaction to bashing or killing a homosexual is justified or excess vs. the man doesn’t do enough and the gay does something worse. Most men and boys who are victims of gays usu. won’t call cops to report that a gay is committing indecent exposure, harassment or in worst cases molestation until some1 reacts violently and bashes the gay. Again if it’s true homosexual committed indecent exposure, harassment, stalking, etc. before men reacted violently, then the fact the homosexual committed a crime before he was bashed must be decided by jury in deciding if gay basher(s) used reasonable or excess force.
abnerbha
@ChrisK: @Tobi: @Baba Booey Fafa Fooey:
Assault and battery or murder cases including gay bashing cases, unless there is a plea bargain (which happens in most criminal cases) juries decide after hearing both prosecutor and defense lawyer. Juries decide what is reasonable & excess because each case is different and must be judged individually. As known with murder cases, there is Murder 1, Murder 2 and Manslaughter which is a jury topic. If a defense lawyer in a gay bashing case wants to raise a crime the gay did such as harassment, indecent exposure, etc. before man reacted violently, then that must be regarded in deciding verdict. Prosecutors can argue why they think it was excess force and defense lawyer can argue why it was justified force. Jury decides if it’s justified or excess force. A jury can acquit or if they convict, they can convict a person on lesser charge.
A rebuttal people make is that gay bashers will sometimes say things to justify their deeds such as saying the homosexual committed indecent exposure, harassment, stalking and so on and that it’s the gay basher’s side of story. Yes-but just as gay basher’s have interest to justify their deeds, gay bashing victims have interest to make themselves look like innocent victims. We don’t always know the other side of story and that is usually different from what homosexual says happened. Again if it’s true homosexual committed indecent exposure, harassment, stalking, etc. before men reacted violently, then the fact the homosexual committed a crime before he was bashed must be decided by jury in deciding if gay basher(s) used reasonable or excess force.
abnerbha
@ChrisK:
@Teva:
If a defense lawyer in a gay bashing case wants to raise a crime the gay did such as harassment, indecent exposure, etc. before man reacted violently, then that must be regarded in deciding verdict.I would rather have a case where a jury decides if a man’s reaction to bashing or killing a homosexual is justified or excess vs. the man doesn’t do enough and the gay does something worse. Most men and boys who are victims of gays usu. won’t call cops to report that a gay is committing indecent exposure, harassment or in worst cases molestation until some1 reacts violently and bashes the gay.
abnerbha
@ChrisK: @Teva:
The teenage boy said that he killed in self-defense after the victim was trying to sexually abuse him. While I again admit the boy damaged his credibility by taking the victim’s money, posing for picture, etc. which made him look arrogant to the jury, the victim was a gay pedophile who likely gave the teenage boy drugs and it wouldn’t be surprising if he victimized other teenage boys, before getting killed by this boy. Most boys who are victims of gay pedophiles are too shy to talk about this. Likely, the victim sexually abused other teenage boys & as the victim was a gay pedophile, we must care more about the boys he victimized, than his death.
I would rather have a case where a jury decides if a man’s reaction to bashing or killing a homosexual is justified or excess vs. the man doesn’t do enough and the gay does something worse. Most men and boys who are victims of gays usu. won’t call cops to report that a gay is committing indecent exposure, harassment or in worst cases molestation until some1 reacts violently and bashes the gay. Again if it’s true homosexual committed indecent exposure, harassment, stalking, etc. before men reacted violently, then the fact the homosexual committed a crime before he was bashed must be decided by jury in deciding if gay basher(s) used reasonable or excess force.
crowebobby
@abnerbha: All your mindless bullsh*t might carry a bit more weight if you knew what the f*ck the word pedophile means.
ChrisK
@Tobi: Yeah, I agree. The jury didn’t by that this just happened out of the blue. Your version would’ve at least created some sympathy for Bamford.
ChrisK
@crowebobby: Ha. I don’t even bother to read any of his insane babbling.
abnerbha
@crowebobby: If a man has sex with little girls only, then he is a straight pedophile. If a person has homosexual activities with a young boy, then they are a homosexual pedofile. What those priests did when they molest young boys is homosexuality.
abnerbha
@Tobi:
By this article, it’s possible that was raised during trial. The dead adult had no right to be having sex with teenage boys. Any1 who has sex (straight or gay) with people under 18 years old should be in jail. This adult can find many knowing & willing adults to have gay relations with. Would’ve been better if he had been in jail rather than killed, but care more about the teenage boys victimized.
I would rather have a case where a jury decides if a man’s reaction to bashing or killing a homosexual is justified or excess vs. the man doesn’t do enough and the gay does something worse. Most men and boys who are victims of gays usu. won’t call cops to report that a gay is committing indecent exposure, harassment or in worst cases molestation until some1 reacts violently and bashes the gay. Again if it’s true homosexual committed indecent exposure, harassment, stalking, etc. before men reacted violently, then the fact the homosexual committed a crime before he was bashed must be decided by jury in deciding if gay basher(s) used reasonable or excess force.
Tobi
@abnerbha: I didn’t bother to read all of your “blah-blah-blah” because I immediately realised you’re ignorant of the facts that firstly the age of consent in the UK is 16 and in most of Europe 14-15, and secondly you seem to be waffling about how the law is applied in the USA, not in England, where we don’t have such nonsense as plea bargains. You also seem to be getting off on the word “bash”, which just makes you weird.
scotty
whatever happened to asking first? dude prolly has cake for days.
abnerbha
@Tobi:
Yes, the consent age law for sex in the UK (I’ve been there 7 times) is 16, in most European nations 14-15. Here in the US, many states have lowered consent age. But just because law allows that, it’s still wrong. People don’t finish puberty until they’re 18 years old. Any1 who has sexual interest (straight or gay) in people who haven’t finished puberty is sick & this adult should’ve been in prison.
While I again admit the boy damaged his credibility by taking the victim’s money, posing for picture, etc. which made him look arrogant to the jury, the victim was a gay pedophile who likely gave the teenage boy drugs and it wouldn’t be surprising if he victimized other teenage boys, before getting killed by this boy. Most boys who are victims of gay pedophiles are too shy to talk about this. Likely, the victim sexually abused other teenage boys & as the victim was a gay pedophile, we must care more about the boys he victimized, than his death.
Tobi
@abnerbha: I’ve had plenty of sex with 13-14-15 year old boys and thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh, before you get your pantyhose in a twist, I happened to be the same age at the time.
OK, I find the 90-year-old Hugh Hefner dating 18-year-old playmates a bit creepy, but it’s not wrong, it’s not criminal and it doesn’t make him a paedophile.
ChrisK
@Tobi:Your point is right. 13-14-15 yo’s should be able to have sex with each other. However, guys like myself (40’s) shouldn’t be out looking for them. Law or no law. Thank god I have no attraction to children. Men are trouble enough.
Hefner is rich and famous and used by these women. Definitely no victims there.
julian_oneill
As much as I more hate the fact that the victim was a tory, and OMFG worked with the satan himself, that osborne one, he did not deserve to die like that!
abnerbha
@Tobi: @julian_oneill:
Now an adult taking part in homosexual/lesbian activities @least involves adults. But 12 isn’t old enough. a teenager isn’t old enough to take part in this. think hes gay because of biology or was he a victim of homosexual sex abuse such as by priest ? I have thought about this & don’t think any1 can rebut conclusion that childhood sex abuse victims of gay/lesbian pedophiles have more risk of turning out gay/lesbian by copying the conduct they learned because conduct incl. sexual conduct can be learned. GID is worse & they must abolish sex changes.
Most boys who are victims of gay pedophiles are too shy to talk about this. Likely, the victim sexually abused other teenage boys & as the victim was a gay pedophile, we must care more about the boys he victimized, than his death. Would’ve been better if he had been in jail rather than killed, but care more about the teenage boys victimized.
ChrisK
abnerbha