Thread: Brit Expat Murders Disabled Ex Wife

Expatriate flew home to strangle housewife, court told

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By John-Paul Ford Rojas, Press Association, THE INDEPENDENT

Wednesday, 7 July 2010




A British expatriate flew home from Thailand to strangle a devoted housewife so her ex-husband could inherit a "pot of gold" of nearly £500,000, a court heard today.

Sharon Birchwood, 52, was left "cruelly trussed up" with parcel tape and electrical cord on her bed by Paul Cryne, a jury was told.

Cryne is alleged to have carried out the murder in Ashtead, Surrey, on behalf of Graham Birchwood, who had gone shopping in Epsom at the time.

He carried out his work with "ruthless efficiency", leaving no fingerprints or any other "obvious clues" and was only caught after a "painstaking" forensic investigation, the Old Bailey heard.

Birchwood, 54, had found himself heavily in debt and facing bankruptcy after a string of business failures in Thailand, the court was told.

Mark Dennis QC, prosecuting, said: "His only hope was if he found a pot of gold, enough money to clear his debts and start over again."

Jurors were told that he has since been found guilty of the murder. Cryne, 62, who was later extradited from Thailand and is now on trial, denies the charge.

Mr Dennis said Birchwood was the sole beneficiary of his ex-wife's will, leaving him her £400,000 bungalow and £75,000 in life insurance.

This would leave "more than enough" to pay off the mortgage and he would be free to return to Thailand, jurors were told.

But he realised he would fall under suspicion if she were to be killed and needed someone "prepared to do such a deed without being noticed, who could disappear without ever attracting the attention of the police", Mr Dennis said.

All he had to do was "keep a cool head" and appear to assist the investigation, the court heard.

"Had it not been for some painstaking forensic work, Birchwood would have got away with this," said Mr Dennis.

"However careful the killer had tried to be, as it turned out, there was a clue left behind.

"DNA traces from the right hand of the deceased and the roll of tape used to bind her were recovered and found to match the DNA of this man, the defendant."

The court heard that Cryne was "a man who for many years had been living in Thailand, part of Birchwood's expat business circle, a man who was also short of money and who was prepared to do such a deed".

Cryne flew in from Thailand at the end of October 2007 before going to stay with Birchwood at Birchwood's mother's house in Banstead, Mr Dennis said.

Two days before the killing in December, he left, giving the impression he was going to stay with friends in the West Country but in fact he did not go far and was a short distance from Ashtead, jurors heard.

Mrs Birchwood was said to have been murdered after returning home from Guildford, and within three hours, Cryne was at Heathrow awaiting a flight back to Thailand the next day, the court was told.

The victim's ex-husband "tried to cover his tracks" by sending text messages to her on the following two days, before a 999 call the day after that.

An ambulance crew found Birchwood standing outside the bungalow holding a cup of coffee, before going inside.

"Fifty-two-year-old Sharon Birchwood was found lying fully clothed on her bed, cruelly trussed up," said Mr Dennis.

"She had been bound and gagged using a combination of parcel tape and electrical cord. Her ankles had been tightly bound together by tape as had her wrists."

Mrs Birchwood's wrists had been pulled up to her face and she had been gagged.

"Electrical cord had been repeatedly wrapped around her head and a small metal handle had been used to tighten those bindings acting in effect as a tourniquet."

There were no signs that she was killed during a struggle or in a robbery or that there was any sexual motive, the court heard.

"The victim had been taken completely by surprise in her own home and had been incapacitated almost immediately," said Mr Dennis.

He said the actions of the killer were those of someone intending to kill Sharon Birchwood, "something which was achieved with ruthless efficiency".

The court heard that Mrs Birchwood was a "harmless, ordinary person" who had not moved on after divorcing her husband in 1989 and remained "devoted" to him - despite the fact he went on to marry and have two children with his secretary.

"He, on the other hand, was not so devoted, and he on occasions used her to his own advantage," said Mr Dennis.





Trial begins over alleged Ashtead murder of Sharon Birchwood

1:39pm Wednesday 7th July 2010 EPSOM GUARDIAN


A man who trussed up, bound, gagged and asphyxiated a disabled woman at the request of her ex-husband came from Thailand especially to commit the murder, a court heard.
Paul Cryne flew in from Thailand and killed Sharon Birchwood a few days later in her bungalow on Harriots Lane, Ashtead, at the request of Graham Birchwood, a jury at the Old Bailey heard.
Mrs Birchwood, 52, an ME sufferer, was found by paramedics in her bedroom, fully clothed at 1pm on Friday December 7, 2007.
She had been trussed up, bound and gagged with parcel tape and electrical wire. Her ankles had been tied and there was tape around her neck and head, the court heard.
The electrical cord had been repeatedly wound around her head and a small metal handle had been used, it appeared, to act as a tourniquet.
The ligature around her neck and the gagging of her mouth had caused asphyxia, the jury was told.
She was found by paramedics who were called by her ex-husband.
The victim’s ex-husband, Birchwood, who was convicted of the murder of Mrs Birchwood in July last year, had business ventures in South East Asia, especially Thailand, where he met his co-conspirator Mr Cryne, the jury heard.
Prosecutor, Mark Dennis QC, alleged Mr Cryne flew into Britain a few days before the murder on November 26 at Birchwood’s request, and left the country in the morning of December 5, some hours after Mrs Birchwood had been killed.
He was caught on CCTV at Heathrow Airport and had been staying at the home of Mr Birchwood’s mother at Green Curve, Banstead.
The court heard how Birchwood received a phone call from Mr Cryne on his mobile at 8.10pm on December 4, to inform him the job had been done, before setting off to Heathrow airport where he stayed overnight waiting for his morning flight.
Mr Dennis said although no fingerprints were left at the scene, police found Mr Cryne’s DNA on a duvet cover and a piece of tape.
Mr Cryne was extradited from Thailand and arrived in the UK in August last year.
The court heard how Birchwood had been in serious debts due to the failure of his business ventures and was at risk of bankruptcy.
He was, however, the sole beneficiary of Mrs Birchwood’s will, which included the bungalow, valued at £400,000 plus £70,000 from her life insurance, the court heard.
The bungalow was jointly owned with Mr Birchwood, although they had been divorced for many years.
Mr Birchwood had put forward ideas for selling the house but she had refused, stressing she enjoyed living there.
Mr Dennis said: "His only hope for any change to his circumstances was if he found a pot of gold – enough money to allow him to clear his debts and start all over again.
"But he did not want to take the risk of killing her himself as he realised he would always be a suspect.
"He needed to get someone else, who would not be noticed after the event and would not attract the attention of the police.
"All he had to do after that was to keep a cool head and assist the police in their inquiries.
"It nearly worked for him. Had it not been for some painstaking detective work, he would have got away with it."
Mr Dennis told the jury Sharon Birchwood had no known enemies.
"She was a quiet, ordinary person burdened by ill-health and a lack of a real social life, living in rather poor conditions and not having two pennies to rub together," he said.
"But she lived in a property worth a considerable sum of money."
Mrs Birchwood was probably caught by surprise at home and was either unconscious or paralysed with fear while Mr Cryne wrapped the tape around her hands and legs, the court heard.
Mr Dennis said: "The victim seemed to have been taken by surprise and had been incapacitated almost immediately.
"A postage stamp was still clasped in her right hand. She had not even had time to open her hand and let it go."
Mr Cryne denies murder

Paul Cryne Sharon Birchwood

















Hitman killed woman to get legacy for husband'
July 07, 2010 Get Surrey http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/20...cy_for_husband


A HITMAN strangled a frail and ill woman in her own home so her estranged husband could claim her £475,000 legacy, a court was told on Wednesday.
Paul Cryne left 52-year-old Sharon Birchwood bound and gagged with electrical cord and packing tape on her bed, jurors heard at the Old Bailey.
They were told that failed businessman Graham Birchwood pretended to discover his wife's dead body at her bungalow in Ashtead three days later, having plotted the murder so he could sell her £400,000 home, claim her £75,000 life insurance and then start a new life abroad.
The plan was foiled only by “painstaking forensic work” which recovered traces of Mr Cryne’s DNA from Mrs Birchwood’s right hand, it is claimed.
Mr Cryne, 62, was said to have been one of Mr Birchwood’s business associates in Thailand and had flown to the UK a week before the death.
Jurors have heard that Birchwood, now 56, has already been convicted of murder and jailed for life.
The court heard he dialled 999 at 1.30pm on December 7, 2007, to say he had found the dead body of his estranged wife, and paramedics arrived to find him outside the bungalow in Harriotts Lane.
He claimed he had called in to see Mrs Birchwood on his way to a diabetic clinic and had not seen her for the previous two or three days.
"Ruthless efficiency"
Sharon Birchwood was found lying fully clothed on her bed and was “cruelly trussed up”, prosecutor Mark Dennis QC said.
Parcel tape was wrapped around her ankles and wrists and had also been used as a tight gag over her mouth and face, while electrical cord had been wound around her head and tightened with the small handle of a magnifying glass, the court heard.
Mr Dennis added: “It soon became clear the violent assault upon Sharon Birchwood had not been the result of a chance encounter with an unknown intruder.
“There were no signs of forced entry, no sign of any property having been stolen and no sign any drawers or cupboards had been opened. There was no sign of a struggle.
“The victim had suddenly been taken completely by surprise in her own home and incapacitated almost immediately.
“These were the actions of someone who had come to the premises to kill Sharon Birchwood, something which was achieved with ruthless efficiency.”
The jury heard Mrs Birchwood, who suffered from Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME), was overpowered so quickly that she was still clutching a postage stamp in her right hand.
Mr Dennis asked: “Who would have had the motive to kill Sharon Birchwood?”
“Sharon Birchwood had no enemies, she was a quiet, harmless, ordinary person who muddled along in life burdened by ill health and lacking in social life without two pennies to rub together.”
Bankruptcy
But despite her poverty, the bungalow where she had lived for nearly 27 years was worth £400,000, and she had made her husband the sole beneficiary of her will, including the home and life insurance policy, jurors heard.
Mrs Birchwood remained devoted to her husband even after their divorce, Mr Dennis said.
“To her dying day she would have done anything for him,” he added.
“He on the other hand was not so devoted. He on occasions used her to his own advantage and did right up to the end.”
Graham Birchwood was also said to suffer from ill health, was threatened with bankruptcy and lived a “depressing existence with no prospects for the future".
The barrister added: “His only hope for a change in circumstances was if he found a pot of gold, enough money to clear his debts and start all over again.
“He would be free to leave the country and settle with his various business friends and associates in Thailand.”