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Key CCTV footage captured the tragic final moments of a grandmother entering a property she thought was her bed and breakfast that night, before her landlord beats her to death.
The final moments before the murder of Margaret Barnes, 71, by David Redfern, 46, have been revealed as the grandmother is shown lugging her suitcase into his seaside home in Barmouth, North Wales, on 11 July last year.
The short clip shows Mrs. Barnes hauling her purse up the drive as she places her black handbag on a table outside the door, before entering the property at approximately 10:22pm.
It follows the ruling by Redfern today at Caernarfon Crown Court.
Sentencing him to a minimum term of 14 years in prison, Judge Mr Justice Bourne will have time served in remand to be deducted from the time he will serve – making the minimum term 13 years and 127 days.
However, Judge Redfern cautioned that “the minimum term is not a fixed term,” adding that if released, he would be “subject to a life license.”
Redfern dragged Margaret Barnes, 71, downstairs by her feet after finding her sleeping in a bed at his seaside home, after the 21-stone home’s owner was furious when he found out Mrs. Barnes had mistaken his house for a bed and breakfast.
The final moments before Margaret Barnes, 71, was murdered by David Redfern, 46, are revealed as the drive-through grandmother is shown placing her black bag on a table outside the door.
David Redfern, 46, dragged 71-year-old Margaret Barnes downstairs by her feet after he found her asleep in a bed at his waterfront home in Barmouth, North Wales, on July 11 last year.
He called Mrs. Barnes (pictured) “the burglar” before dragging her by the ankles from his bed and down the stairs, “stamping” her and throwing her bag into the street
Barnes accidentally ends up checking into Belmont House, Redfern’s seaside estate in Barmouth
The Crown Court at Caernarfon was told that he had found her naked, dismembered, and in one of the bedrooms, before calling her a “thieves” and a “slag” for having “stamped” her and throwing her into the street.
Tragically, Mrs. Barnes, who had actually intended to stay at the Wavecrest B&B a few doors down from the property, dies in the street from catastrophic injuries, including three broken ribs, akin to a ‘high-speed car accident’.
During the opening sentencing this afternoon, Mr Bourne said Redfern had intended to cause “really grievous bodily harm rather than kill” Ms Barnes.
The judge said there were “surprising and strange” circumstances. Redfern is astonished to find Mrs. Barnes in his bed, drink in hand, possessions strewn about her, and the smell of cigarette smoke.
Mr Bourne said: “Your first reaction was quite appropriate. I asked her what she was doing in your house, and you said her responses were incongruous or confused.
At 10.52pm she called the police and calmly told them of the situation and told them to send someone to remove Mrs. Barnes. But then things went wrong.
You have joined your partner and Mrs. Barnes in the bedroom. There was some kind of confrontation. When told the police had been called, you said Mrs. Barnes reacted aggressively accusing your partner of stealing her handbag and lunged at her.
“It seems that this was the trigger for what happened next.” The kick or chop must have been imposed with “great force..”
Redfern was found guilty of her murder after a three-week trial, in which the jury took 14 hours and 30 minutes to convict him of the murder.
Before the accident, Redfern had drunk six or seven pints of gin and tonic during a night out with his partner, before going home and falling asleep while watching the Antiques Roadshow.
But when they headed to bed around 11pm, they found their bedroom door locked.
He finds the spare key and unlocks it to see Mrs. Barnes nearly naked in their bed, drinking gin, purse open, clothes strewn by her false teeth on a side table.
We’ve heard previously how Mrs. Barnes, seven and a half stone tall, mistook his grand five-storey seaside house – called the Belmont House – for her hotel after traveling more than 100 miles from Birmingham to the seaside resort for £95. – Night break.
The 71-year-old booked to stay at the Wavecrest B&B on Marine Parade – just a few doors down from the Redfern property
A retired factory worker bought a bottle of gin on an evening stroll by the sea before looking for her own bed and breakfast.
The large house was formerly a hotel before it was bought for £449,000 to be refurbished by Redfern and his partner, who had moved from Essex.
But Redfern, an IT worker, accidentally found the 71-year-old in his home and dragged her downstairs by her feet.
Then he kicked or stepped on her and threw her bag in the street.
In his testimony, Redfern said, ‘There was a lady lying in our bed, drinking and smoking.
“There was an open black suitcase on the floor, clothes hanging and strewn around the room.”
The court heard shocked partner Nicola Leroyd-Lewis saw Ms Barnes and said: “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in our bedroom?”
Mrs. Barnes is said to have replied, “This is my room and I am supposed to be here.”
Ms Barnes said that she suffered “catastrophic” injuries to her liver and a number of broken ribs.
Her injuries were compared to those sustained in a high-speed car accident, according to the pathologist.
Prior to the accident, Redfern had drunk six or seven pints of gin and tonic during a night out with his partner
David Redfern (pictured) was furious when he saw Margaret Barnes, 71, undressed, unpacked her belongings and climbed onto a bed at his home in Barmouth, North Wales, a court heard
Tragically, Mrs. Barnes subsequently fell unconscious and went into cardiac arrest when neighbors tried to resuscitate her, but she died at the scene from “traumatic injuries”.
Unfortunately, no ambulance was able to attend the scene of the accident, the court heard today.
But when a neighbor called for an ambulance, he heard Redfern “refusal”.
It was found that Mrs. Barnes had died from an “assault” from a “kick or stamp”.
Examination of the corpse found that she had a liver injury, and was bleeding extensively internally.
It caused a deep laceration to the liver, broken ribs and internal bleeding, said pathologist Dr. Brian Rodgers, a Home Office pathologist.
In the evidence, Dr. Rodgers said the damage to the liver was “unsurvivable”.
Redfern’s shocking comments were also captured on Hive’s camera while it was being recorded at his door, where he said, “There’s nothing wrong with her and all she is.”
He called Mrs. Barnes “dirty”.
In heartbreakingly poignant terms, Mrs. Barnes’ family called her “a very lovable mother and grandmother”.
The court heard that Mrs. Barnes loved puzzles, needlework and dancing and had traveled to China and Cape Verde with her husband, Raymond.
Daughter Natalie Barnes read the victim impact statement to the court describing her mother as someone who “loved the little things in life”.
Redfern’s “horrific” comments were also caught on Hive’s camera while it was being recorded at his door, where he said, “There’s nothing wrong with her and all she is.” Calling Mrs. Barnes a ‘dirty’
Mrs. Barnes was booked into the Wavecrest B’n’B (pictured) which was located several doors down on Marine Parade
She said: ‘When my mother called out to my father and brother they could not save her.
As a family we will never get over what happened. My mom didn’t need to die and we don’t understand why she had to die.
Speaking about the sentencing, Detective Director Mark Pearce said: “We welcome today’s life imprisonment for David Redfern for the brutal murder of Margaret Barnes.
During a two-week trial, Redfern shows no remorse, attempts to blame Margaret for his actions and exposes her family to a traumatic two-week trial as the details of the event are explored in graphic detail. How a man of 21 stone, 6’1″ could inflict such catastrophic injuries on a frail 71-year-old lady, 25 years his senior, is beyond any reasonable person to fathom.
David Redfern is a cowardly and vicious bully who will now spend at least 14 years behind bars where he can reflect on what he has done.
In stark contrast, Margaret’s family displayed tremendous courage and dignity during the investigation and during the court proceedings. They can now begin to rebuild their lives as they begin to move on.
Margaret’s family added: “Margaret, who was a very loving wife, mother and grandmother, has been gone for 8 months. As a family it has been the hardest time of our lives. It was especially hard for Margaret’s husband who has been her partner of 56 years.
We now have a kind of conclusion to what happened, but no sentence length will fill the void Margaret left behind. As a family we would like to thank the police for their hard work in putting the case together. We would also like to thank Katherine and Arwen our family liaisons for their support, the judging panel for their time and also KC Mike Jones and his prosecution team.