A MURDERER has been handed a life sentence following the stabbing of a Droitwich pensioner in his own home.

Adam Mason has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years at Worcester Crown Court today following the murder of 80-year-old Desmond Wooding. Mason, 33, of Plough Lane, Tibberton stabbed Mr Wooding 11 times in the lounge of his bungalow in Vines Lane on June 23 last year.

The killer’s uncle, Mark Mason, who drove him from the scene was jailed for two years for assisting an offender. One of the wounds was 8cm deep, piercing Mr Wooding’s heart and lungs.

The motive for the murder was said by the prosecution to be the way Mr Wooding had treated his late wife Maureen when she was dying of cancer. Maureen was the sister of Colin Mason, Adam Mason’s grandfather.

Both men were convicted by a majority decision (10-2) of the jury following a three week trial which ended in March.

The prosecution was led by Adrian Keeling QC who argued that Adam Mason carried out the murder in a 20 minute window after he left the pub at 8.42pm.

No forensic evidence linking Adam Mason to the scene was found in the bungalow. However, DNA that was ‘430,000 times more likely to belong to Mr Wooding than anyone else’ was found on Adam Mason’s dog lead.

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