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The judge thanked the jurors for being "truly fantastic" amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On 29 March , the Advisory Panel's recommendations were approved by the House of Commons , but rejected by the House of Lords , meaning the bill would be reconsidered by parliament. The court heard Healless had made searches on eBay for a military-style folding spade, a shovel and a pickaxe. Boston Spa, Yorkshire and the Humber. Torquay, South West. Oakham, East Midlands. Romsey, South East.
They had to sit further apart than normal, with half in the well of the court and the others in the jury box. They had heard that Mr Davies, from Skelmersdale, was openly gay and the defendant had been in contact with him and other men. Healless had mentioned meeting for "some outdoor fun" but took a knife to the top of Parbold Hill on the afternoon of 29 April Three days later, a gamekeeper working on the hill spotted an arm under a pile of broken conifers, leading police to Mr Davies's body.
The court heard Healless had made searches on eBay for a military-style folding spade, a shovel and a pickaxe. Prosecutor David McLachlan suggested to the jury that this was evidence of Healless preparing for his next victim. You were undoubtedly setting him up to kill and you are a manipulative, calculating and devious person. Psychiatrists who examined Healless, who came to England from his native Lithuania at the age of seven, agreed he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the killing. But jurors rejected his defence that his responsibility for the killing was diminished by his mental state and unanimously convicted him yesterday of murder.
Judge Brown told Healless: "I am satisfied that such was the planning, premeditation and the nature of the killing that your culpability is not reduced significantly. On May 1, the body of Mr Davies was discovered by a local gamekeeper who reported seeing an arm under a pile of broken conifers. A post-mortem examination showed he died from multiple stab wounds and asphyxiation. He had also been beaten around the head and face. Healless was arrested on May 3 and a search of his family home in Rylands Road uncovered the victim's headphones, spare phone and wallet with the defendant's bank card inside - which the judge said were intended as trophies.
It emerged he had searched online for how to wipe the data of a phone belonging to his victim before they met up and went on to perform factory resets of two phones that he stole from Mr Davies. Healless similarly researched how to reset a phone of one of his subsequent Grindr contacts who he was due to meet the next day but called the rendezvous off after his mountain bike was broken. Searches on eBay were also made by Healless for an army military folding spade, a shovel and a pickaxe. Healless told doctors that "a voice in his head" said he was going to be harmed on Parbold Hill and that he attacked Mr Davies in fear of his own life.
The defendant explained he had taken a knife to the scene for his own protection and then tried to contact other young men because he "just wanted to meet somebody". Stephen Meadowcroft QC, defending, said: "His parents are both in court and have been throughout the trial. They have told me they are desperately shocked at what has happened and had no idea he was going through any problem period. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber. Harrow, London. Hartlepool, North East. Hartwell, East Midlands.
Harwich, East of England. Haslemere, South East. Hastings, South East. Hatfield, East of England. Hatfield, London.
Havant, South East. Haverhill, East of England. Havering, London. Hayle, South West. Haywards Heath, South East. Heanor, East Midlands. Heathfield, South East. Heathrow, London. Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire and the Humber. Heckmondwike, Yorkshire and the Humber. Helston, South West. Hemel Hempstead, East of England. Hendon, London. Henfield, South East. Henley-on-Thames, South East. Hereford, West Midlands. Hertford, East of England. Heswall, North West. Hexham, North East. Heywood, North West. High Wycombe, South East. Hillingdon, London. Hinckley, East Midlands.
Hindhead, South East. Hitchin, East of England. Hockley, East of England. Holmes Chapel, North West. Holmfirth, Yorkshire and the Humber. Holsworthy, South West.
Holt, East of England. Honiton, South West.
Hook, South East. Horley, South East. Hornchurch, London. Horsham, South East. Houghton-le-Spring, North East.
Hounslow, London. Hoylake, North West. Huddersfield, Yorkshire and the Humber. Hullbridge, East of England. Hunstanton, East of England.
Huntingdon, East of England. Hurstpierpoint, South East.