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Homeless man admits murder of Stourbridge woman who helped him Homeless man admits murder of Stourbridge woman who helped him
(about 5 hours later)
A homeless man has admitted murdering a woman who helped him when he was homeless, as well as her 13-year-old son. A homeless man who turned on the woman who tried to help him has admitted murdering her and her teenage son after sneaking into their home dressed in a balaclava and armed with a knife.
Aaron Barley once called Tracey Wilkinson, 50, the mother he never had, but he stabbed to death her and her son, Pierce, at their home in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in March. Barley also tried to kill Tracey Wilkinson’s husband, Peter, who had given him a job at his company. He was stabbed six times but survived, and Barley pleaded guilty in May to the attempted murder. Aaron Barley stabbed Tracey Wilkinson 17 times and inflicted eight knife wounds on her son, Pierce, at their home in Stourbridge, West Midlands.
Barley, who appeared in the dock alongside four custody officers, spoke quietly when entering his pleas on Tuesday. Barley, who was given food, friendship and shelter by the family, waited through the night outside the house until Ms Wilkinson’s husband, Peter, left to walk the dog before entering through an unlocked door.
Tracey Wilkinson first met Barley when she saw him huddling in a cardboard box outside a supermarket in Stourbridge in 2016. The Wilkinsons helped him find accommodation and made sure he had food and clothes. Karim Khalil QC, prosecuting, told Birmingham crown court Barley killed Ms Wilkinson, 50, in her bed and her 13-year-old son in his room. When Mr Wilkinson returned Barley attacked him. Barley knifed Mr Wilkinson six times before fleeing in his victim’s Land Rover.
He spent Christmas Day last year with the family, including their daughter, Lydia, and wrote Tracey Wilkinson a card addressed: “To the mother that I never had”. Khalil said: “The defendant was dressed all in black, including gloves and a balaclava. Peter describes the defendant as acting like a ninja. He realised immediately who his attacker was.
On 30 March this year – a year after the family met him – Barley, then 23, arrived at the family home early in the morning while Peter Wilkinson was out walking the dog. He murdered Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson and when Peter Wilkinson arrived home, attacked him too, shouting: “Die, you bastard”. “The defendant was wielding a knife, stabbing and slashing at Peter in a frenzied attack with such aggression that this alone demonstrated an obvious intention to kill him.”
Barley stole the family’s car but crashed it nearby and was arrested shortly afterwards. The prosecutor told the court Barley, 24, was a “compulsive liar and manipulator”. He told how Ms Wilkinson took pity on him when she found him huddling in a cardboard box outside a supermarket in September 2016.
Barley’s motive remains unknown. Speaking outside the court, Det Supt Tom Chisholm, of West Midlands police, said the killings were “random and completely unexpected”. She drove him home and gave him her husband’s dinner. The family helped Barley find accommodation and made sure he had a hot meal every night.
He said Barley refused to be interviewed about the killings. Mr Wilkinson, 47, a successful businessman, even gave Barley a job at his company but had to sack him after he began taking drugs.
“This was a truly shocking incident. Efforts were made to interview Barley but he remained largely uncooperative. He still has not assisted us to gain a clear understanding of what motivated him or what the reasons were behind this horrific attack. There is usually a buildup or a motive or a grudge or something, but this one is just very random.” Barley spent Christmas Day last year with the family, including their daughter, Lydia, and wrote Ms Wilkinson a card addressed: “To the mother that I never had”. When he lost his accommodation the family allowed him to stay for two weeks with them.
At the end of March this year – a year after the family met him – Barley, then 23, arrived at the family home armed with a knife.
After killing mother and son he hid in the shed, where he found a hammer. As Mr Wilkinson arrived home, Barley pounced on him before making his getaway. He crashed it nearby and, following a brief chase, was arrested.
Barley’s motive remains unknown. He refused to give an explanation to the police and would not allow toxicology tests to be done, meaning it is not known if he had been drinking or taking drugs.
The court heard that psychiatric reports had found nothing that could have provided him with a defence of diminished responsibility.
Barley rocked from side to side as details of his 21 previous convictions for offences including an assault on a former partner were read out.
Volunteers at an alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre have reported that Barley said he wanted to kill someone with a knife - with his “two aims in life” being to kill a policeman and a prison officer. But his remarks were dismissed as bravado caused by drug abuse.
It also emerged in court that he was reported to police after Barley’s former foster carer became concerned about messages posted on Facebook.
Among the posts was a threat made by Barley against “my family that have not spoken to me in years” and messages raising the possibility of a “killing spree”.
Less than a week before the stabbings, the court heard, the Wilkinsons cancelled a mobile phone contract they had paid for Barley.
At around the same time Ms Wilkinson had told a friend she had seen Barley looking over a fence at her home and she wanted nothing more to do with him.
Speaking outside the court, Det Supt Tom Chisholm, of West Midlands police, said the killings were “random and completely unexpected”.
He said: “This was a truly shocking incident. Efforts were made to interview Barley but he remained largely uncooperative. He still has not assisted us to gain a clear understanding of what motivated him or what the reasons were behind this horrific attack. There is usually a buildup or a motive or a grudge or something, but this one is just very random.”
Barley admitted the double murder on what was due to be the first day of his trial at Birmingham crown court. He will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Chisholm added: “Barley was a really chaotic individual who moved around quite a lot. We know both of his parents died and he was in and out of care. Clearly he was a very angry person, but there were no direct threats made towards the Wilkinson family.”
Wilkinson’s daughter, Lydia, 24, who was away at university at the time of the attack, told Barley in court: “I will never forgive you.”
Reading out her victim personal statement, she said: “My parents helped you - you repaid them with destruction, and heartache. You have obliterated my life, murdered half my family, very nearly all it, and for this I will never forgive you.”
She said she remained “haunted to my core”, adding: “I am a shell off my former self. Sometimes I wake up and don’t want to be here … What did they do to deserve this?”
The court also heard that a woman called Eileen Adams, one of Barley’s foster carers, described him as a “Jekyll and Hyde character.”
Jonas Hankin QC, defending, argued that Barley should not receive a whole life term, which would mean he will never be releaed.