A former soldier who had a grudge against dog walkers has been convicted of murdering a pensioner he had never met before.

Alexander Palmer attacked 83-year-old Peter Wrighton from behind with a knife before dragging his body under brambles in rural Norfolk on 5 August 2017.

Wrighton had been walking his two dogs in woodland known as the Heath near East Harling.

Palmer, 24, showed no emotion as the jury’s unanimous verdict was given at Nottingham crown court on Wednesday.

Police had been unaware of Palmer, from Cringleford, Norfolk, until a psychologist who had treated him at RAF Marham read press reports and told them she thought he could be worth speaking to. While serving in the army, Palmer had been injured in an assault in which he was the victim and it had seemed to trigger problems which required mental health assistance.

Mr Justice Goose adjourned sentencing until Thursday and said: “The widow of the deceased followed proceedings yesterday and may wish to witness the sentence tomorrow. She should be given this opportunity. It is inevitable the defendant will receive a sentence of life imprisonment. It will be up to me as to the minimum term he will have to serve.”

Palmer, wearing a black suit, mouthed: “I love you” to his family as the judge sent him to the cells.

In a statement read outside court, Wrighton’s daughter, Carol Todd, said: “My dad, Peter Wrighton, was viciously attacked while walking his dogs. He was quite simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The shock of it has been compounded by the fact he was such a lovely, gentle, person who people always warmed to.”

She thanked the police and local people for their help, but added: “The revelations of the evidence relating to the mental health of Alexander Palmer have shocked, astounded and angered us.



“Evidently an intelligent person, he was able to take himself off medication and get himself discharged from care. We feel this should not have happened and mental health professionals failed him, his family and our family. My mum, brother, myself and our children not only feel grief but anger, as we believe this crime could have been prevented.”

