14 DAY TRIAL // 48-year-old Stephen Farrow was convicted for the murders of 59-year-old reverend John Suddards, and 77-year-old retired teacher Betty Yates, this year.
Farrow and Suddards were stabbed to death in their homes in England. Yates was beaten with her walking stick in January, in Worcestershire, before being stabbed four times. The reverend was attacked in February, in Gloucestershire.
The verdict comes after a four-week trial. According to the Daily Mail, presiding judge Field classified Farrow's crimes as horrific before giving his ruling. The judge detailed the man's action, during the murderer's latest appearance in court.
“On January 2 this year you somehow got into Betty Yates's home in the afternoon or early evening. [...] Mrs Yates lived in a remote spot at the banks of the River Severn. She was 77 years old but she led an active life. [...] You struck Mrs Yates from behind with a heavy walking stick, hitting her hard at least twice to the back of the head with the rounded, bulbous handle,” he described.
“You then arranged her body and you put a pillow under her head. [...] I am quite sure that having done that, you then inflicted the four stab wounds which you inflicted,” he then went on to say.
Farrow had a different treatment in mind for the vicar, but was derailed. He planned to crucify him, instead left him stabbed on the floor of his vicarage. He laid an open Bible on his chest and a canvas of Christ next to him.
Forrow, of no fixed address, believed himself a prophet, and talked about the end of the world being near.
“He talked about the second coming of Christ. [...] He talked about some conflicts across the world and linked to this to the second coming of Christ. He said this would not all happen in 2012 but 2012 was the beginning of this process,” the prosecution revealed.