Murderers who stripped father naked and beat him to death are jailed for life

The 44-year-old mechanic was stripped naked before being battered and left for dead with more than 141 injuries during a burglary at the Waterside Industrial Estate, in Rowley Regis, on June 28 last year.

Sentencing them at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Mr Justice Jacobs jailed both Campbell, 40, and Goldbourne, 28, for life with minimum terms of 36 years before they can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

McGhee, also 28, was jailed for 15 years for manslaughter.

The judge said the victim had been subjected to "unimaginable horror" and "tortured" in the sustained attack which lasted about two hours and involved the use of a machete, two knives, and a sledgehammer.

Mr Justice Jacobs said: "All three of you gave evidence that you had no idea that anyone would actually be living at the premises where the drugs and money were to be found, and that this was no more than a burglary of unoccupied industrial premises.

"I am sure that all of that evidence was untrue."

"Campbell, you were the organiser of the intended robbery. Your previous friendship with Carl Woodall’s stepson had resulted, a few days earlier, in your meeting Carl Woodall by his home on the estate and seeing his storage unit.

"You Campbell believed that Mr Woodall stored substantial quantities of drugs and drug money there for the benefit of his stepsons. You also believed that this would be an easy job. You could surprise Mr Woodall at night and a degree of violence would then persuade him without too much difficulty to lead you to the drugs and drug money."

"You were all hoping for a very substantial haul - but there is no evidence that this money represented drug money, rather than Mr Woodall’s personal savings. He did not have a bank account. There was no reliable evidence that the robbery yielded any drugs."

Campbell had met Mr Woodall's stepsons in prison in 2018 and made contact with one of them, Cieran Evans in June 2021, staying with him in the area before leaving abruptly. But he returned about five days later with Goldbourne and McGhee to raid the unit off Doulton Road.

Prosecuting barrister Mr Mark Heywood QC said under the sentencing guidelines "harm of the highest level" was caused to Mr Woodall, also a car boot sale vendor, when taking into account the protracted period in which his injuries were inflicted.

He told the hearing Campbell and Goldbourne, "were simply prepared to torture the deceased until he gave them what they wanted".

Campbell, of Glaisdale Drive East; Goldbourne, of Glamis Road; and McGhee, of Stanstead Avenue all in Nottingham; denied murdering the father-of-five, but the jury did not believe Campbell and Goldbourne.

Mitigating on behalf of McGhee, who acted as lookout and driver, Mr Andrew Vout QC said his client was profoundly remorseful.

"He was the fall guy. He was being used," Mr Vout added.

Campbell and Goldbourne, who blamed each other for the brutal killing, were both found guilty of his murder while McGhee, was convicted of manslaughter by a jury earlier this week.

The judge also paid tribute to Mr Woodall's family at the hearing.