Prostitute guilty of murdering Stourbridge businessman Richard Sherratt
A prostitute was this afternoon found guilty of murdering a Stourbridge businessman with her boyfriend during a night-time raid on his home.
Emma Bate and Paramjit Singh broke into Richard Sherratt's flat in Bridgnorth in a midnight robbery set up by Bate in a bid to fund her crack cocaine addiction.
During the break-in, Mr Sherratt, aged 57, suffered a total of 38 injuries including five blows to the head, a stab wound to his arm and puncture marks on his face and neck.
The property developer died within an hour of the attack and was found the next day semi-naked on his blood-stained bed.
Jurors at Stafford Crown Court took more than a day to consider the case before finding Bate guilty of Mr Sherratt's murder on June 14 last year.
Bate, aged 26, of Gladstone Street, Birmingham, had denied murder, but admitted robbing Mr Sherratt.
Singh, 33, of Willmore Road, Birmingham, had already admitted murdering, robbing and defrauding Mr Sherratt.
Bate, wearing a white top and blue jeans, put her head in her hands as the jury returned its verdict.
Judge Simon Tonking said:?"I am bound to be sentencing both these defendants to life imprisonment."
They will be sentenced on March 1.
A third person, Michael Smith, 51, of Horton Street, Tipton, drove the pair to and from Mr Sherratt's home in Old School Mews.
He denied robbery and was found not guilty.
During the two-week trial, the jury heard how Bate had begun seeing Mr Sherratt in March last year.
