Evil killer lured tragic married army veteran to his death using gay dating app before bludgeoning him to death

A hospital security guard has been convicted of murdering an Army veteran after using a gay dating app to lure him to his death.

Married dad-of-two Paul Taylor was reported missing from his home in Annan, Dumfriesshire, by his wife, Maria, on October 18 last year.

It later emerged he had left their address for what became a tragic fatal meeting with teenager Jack Crawley, then aged 19, at a secluded spot on the outskirts of Carlisle.

During Crawley’s trial, Carlisle Crown Court heard how Mr Taylor met men for sex and hid his double life from loved ones.

The court heard Mr Taylor had both bought cannabis and previously engaged in sexual activity with bisexual Crawley, now 20, with the pair communicating via gay dating app Grindr.

Jack Crawley, now aged 20, has been convicted of murdering army veteran Paul Taylor

Married father Paul Taylor had arranged to meet Crawley for sex in a secluded spot

After catering manager Mr Taylor’s disappearance, a high profile missing person appeal and then a murder probe were launched by detectives.

On May 1, Crawley disclosed to police that his body would be found at the wildlife watcher’s haven of Finglandrigg Wood, near Carlisle.

The tragic father’s corpse had been burned and then dragged into a shallow hollow by Crawley, who used branches and sticks to hide the remains from view.

A pathologist concluded there were at least 10 powerful blows delivered to the victim’s skull.

Further trauma injuries to Mr Taylor’s elbow suggested he may have tried to defend himself from an attack thought to have been carried out with a claw hammer.

After Mr Taylor’s death, Crawley made failed attempts to sell his victim’s blue Vauxhall Corsa, which he later crashed and abandoned in the village of Langwathby, near Penrith, on the morning of October 19.

While being transported back to Carlisle, Crawley described a person dying being ‘worse than (serial killer) Jeffrey Dahmer’, and spoke of ‘getting rid of one more rat’.

Following his arrest by police, fright masks, rope, duct tape and cable ties were found in the bedroom of Crawley’s Sheehan Crescent home in Carlisle. 

Stashed under decking was a bottle of poppers containing Mr Taylor’s DNA, which was also found on his blood-stained car.

Detectives found Crawley had listened to a song called Romantic Homicide five times in the hours before he killed Mr Taylor.

At the conclusion of the trial, prosecutor David McLachlan KC told the jury at Carlisle Crown Court: ‘The prosecution case is that this was a premeditated murder,’ adding that ‘Jack Crawley had murder on his mind and carried out his plan by killing Paul Taylor’.

Crawley admitted manslaughter and denied murder, but was convicted, unanimously, by the jury of six men and six women. 

His claims of a carjacking gone wrong and trying to break up Mr Taylor’s body with a mallet after death and burning was blown apart by damning forensic evidence. 

He denied prosecution suggestions that he had a fascination with serial killers.

After his arrest in November on suspicion of murder and release from custody, Crawley later skipped bail from Carlisle. 

He was seen around new year in Penrith, disguised and wearing what one train station worker described as an ‘obviously fake’ Hagrid-style beard.

Mr Taylor’s family, including his wife, did not know about his sexual interest in men

He travelled around Scotland before carrying out another shocking attack in darkness on the outskirts of York on January 5. 

That victim was another homosexual man aged in his 50s. 

The pair had chatted on gay dating app Grindr for the first time earlier that day, and arranged to meet in York, just hours after Crawley had bought a claw hammer from a city DIY shop.

That second victim told a jury how Crawley struck him three times with a hammer during their intimate encounter. 

‘He didn’t say anything,’ he replied when asked about Crawley’s demeanour. ‘It was all very, very quick. He just basically wanted to hurt me. He was aggressive.’

The second victim was injured and managed to wrestle the weapon from Crawley, who ran off and was later arrested in Bath.

Crawley denied attempting to murder that man but was convicted, unanimously, on that charge by jurors.

As the verdicts were announced, Crawley showed no emotion in the court dock.

Mr Justice Goose told jurors he agreed with their verdicts, and said he would sentence Crawley later this week. ‘You have now been convicted of the counts as the jury have found, and you are to be sentenced on Wednesday. You will be brought to court for that purpose.’ 

Crawley remains remanded in custody.