Mother And Son Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2018 Murder Of Runner In England

The mother and son duo responsible for the murder of a runner in England have been sentenced to life in prison.

Carol Dawson and her son Scott have been sentenced to life in prison for the 2018 murder of Gary Dean at Sheffield Crown Court in England. Scott Dawson has been sentenced to life, with a minimum of 31 years, while Carol Dawson has been sentenced to life, with a minimum of 26 years.

The murder occurred in September 2018 when 48-year-old Gary Dean was killed by 72-year-old Carol Dawson and her 41-year-old son Scott Dawson. Dean had been in a somewhat of a feud with the Dawsons because of his use of a footpath that crossed their property.

Dean would regularly use the footpath for running and other exercises, which the Dawsons did not appreciate. Dean’s use of the path led to the long-running disagreement between himself and the Dawsons, resulting in Dean’s home allegedly being vandalized with graffiti by the pair. Dean was also falsely accused of trying to lure children into the woods.

The feud came to ahead when the pair shot Dean in the head with an air rifle before beating him to death with nearby rocks and branches. Afterwards, his body was dumped in a ditch near his home in Barnsley, England. The Dawsons then went to retrieve a digger to completely dispose of the remains, however, Dean’s remains were discovered by a walker before they could do so.

The Dawsons were arrested shortly after and had a five-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court where they were found guilty of murder.

“You both fed off the venom within each other,” Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said during sentencing. “This toxic mixture led to murder.”