Man jailed for life after murdering Vincent Kershaw

Michael Fearon

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

A man has been jailed after murdering an 84-year-old man for money.

Michael Fearon (22/02/1956) of Timbercliffe, Littleborough pleaded guilty to murder and sentenced to life imprisonment at Manchester Crown Court, today Wednesday 8 May 2013. He will serve a minimum of 25 years in jail.

At about 5.10pm on Sunday 14 October 2012, police were called to a house on Willows Lane, Milnrow, following reports of a concern for the welfare of 84-year-old Vincent Kershaw as he had not been seen for a number of days by neighbours.

Officers attended and found Vincent dead in the kitchen.

A home office post mortem concluded that he died from severe head injuries. He suffered what was described by doctors as an epic fracture to his skull as well as a fractured cheekbone and broken nose.

A full scale investigation was launched and police spoke to a number of witnesses who had seen Vincent days before his death.

Hours of CCTV was studied which helped paint a picture of Mr Kershaw’s final movements.

At around 10am on Thursday 4 October 2012, Vincent was seen catching a bus and visited Milnrow Post Office to collect his pension before shopping in the local area.

At around 12.45pm, he travelled to a Tesco Express and shopped before a taxi picked him up and dropped him off at his home. That was the last time Mr Kershaw was seen alive.

As a potential witness, Fearon told police he had got to know Vincent at a care home where Mr Kershaw’s wife spent her last years. He then started to drive Vincent around and do odd jobs for him, gaining his trust. This led to Mr Kershaw giving him a key to his house.

Fearon told police that he had last seen Vincent on 1 October 2012 when he paid some money into a bank for him and had not been to his home since.

However, Fearon’s car had been spotted on CCTV on Willows Lane on four separate occasions on 4 October.

More significantly, his car was seen near to the Dale Street Post Office at the same time Vincent was collecting his pension before he was spotted driving back towards Willows Lane as Mr Kershaw returned home.

Following Fearon’s arrest, he admitted that due to financial issues, he had planned to rob Mr Kershaw.

On Thursday 4 October 2012, Fearon let himself into Vincent’s house using the key given to him. He was carrying rubber gloves, a dust sheet into which he had cut eye holes, and a mallet. Hiding in a kitchen cupboard, Fearon waited for Vincent to return.

When Mr Kershaw walked into the kitchen he was attacked and hit over the head several times with the mallet.

Fearon took his wallet, that contained approximately £3000, and left before Mr Kershaw was discovered by police on Sunday 14 October 2012.

Detective Inspector Iain Butler from the Major Incident Team said: “Fearon befriended Mr Kershaw and helped him go shopping or do basic DIY jobs for him at his house. During the time they spent together, Fearon gained his trust and got to know his routines such as the time Vincent collected his pension, how he went to the local shops before returning at a specific time.

“It was well known that Mr Kershaw often carried large amounts of money in his wallet, sometimes thousands of pounds. With Fearon spending whatever money he had on gambling and in debt, he saw his so called ‘friend’ as the ideal target.

“This was a pre-planned and savage attack on an elderly man who relied on the person who murdered him. Thankfully, justice caught up with Fearon and he will now face a long time behind bars.”