Judge's words for killer who refused to leave his cell and face justice for Christmas murder
Ruthless killer Thomas Grant has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a virtual stranger on Christmas Day, hours after she took him into her home.
Grant, 28, refused to leave his cell yesterday to be sentenced for murdering Lucy Clews in her home in West Chadsmoor, Staffordshire.
He had killed Miss Clews on December 25 of 2021, only a day after meeting her, then refused to take any responsibility for his "callous, brutal" actions.
He was found guilty by a jury on August 8 at Stafford Crown Court, and was due to be brought out from his prison cell to face a judge and be sentenced for his crimes yesterday at the same court.
But he refused to leave or to give a good reason why he couldn't, so Judge Kristina Montgomery KC sentenced him in his absence.
Here is what she said to the court:
"[Thomas Grant] remains in his cell. He was visited by support staff for the purposes of coming to court and he refused to come to court or to sign a document explaining any reasonable excuse for that refusal.
"Lucy Clews was 39 years old when she died. She was recently widowed, and grieving the loss of her husband who she had only buried some few days before her death.
"She had... for many years suffered from addiction issues. She had suffered ill health and and before her death had been diagnosed with pneumonia.
"She decided to isolate herself, eschewing visitors in the days between her husband's death and her burying him.
"But her addiction brought her out again and it was then that she met Thomas Grant.
"She was described by her mother as 'the light of her life'.
