Motive still a mystery as Black Country murderer jailed for life for Christmas attack

Martyn Turley murdered 34-year-old barber Stuart Roe in Springfield Drive, Halesowen, during the early hours of December 30 last year.

The motive for the murder is still not known.

Both men had been out drinking in Rowley Regis with separate groups of people that night – but had not crossed paths and were not previously known to each other.

Turley, 58, and Mr Roe both headed home from their nights out at around the same time, but took separate routes before coming face-to-face for the first time on Olive Hill Road, near Shell Corner, at around 1.20am.

WATCH: CCTV shows moments leading up to murder

CCTV released by police today shows how the men were involved in an altercation before walking off together in the same direction.

At some point Turley armed himself with a metal bar but he did not attack Mr Roe with this and the men parted ways peacefully.

However Turley soon came back outside in Springfield Drive, Coombeswood, near Blackheath, armed with a kitchen knife.

Within minutes he had stabbed Mr Roe twice in the chest and the barber was dead less than 15 minutes after he had met his killer for the first time..

During a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Jonas Hankin QC, prosecuting, read a statement written by Stuart Roe's cousin Justine Walker, on behalf of the family, which described Mr Roe as a "kind-hearted family man who is deeply missed".

"We all miss him desperately and are still numb about what has happened," it added.

Killer accepts evidence

Defending, Mr Justin Rouse QC, said Turley had been of previous good character and had since tried to kill himself.

He said: "He [Turley] wishes he had got the taxi the family member had offered to allow him to ride home in. He has been an ordinary, decent man in full-time job reaching the end of his working life.

"Everyone is at a complete loss, even Mr Turley himself, to how the event unfolded. He has been traumatised by what he has done. He accepts what is depicted on the CCTV and pathology evidence.

"His sentence he knows is nothing compared to the loss of Mr Roe's family. He has been so distressed at his conduct he has tried to take his own life."

Turley, from Whitehouse Street, Tipton, pleaded guilty to Stuart Roe’s murder days into his trial in November this year.

And at Birmingham Crown Court today he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 19 years and 13 days.

Turley was also sentenced to three years and six months to run concurrently for possession of an offensive weapon.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Johnson, said: "At about 1.35am on December 30 last year you murdered Stuart Roe.

"He was a popular man, a barber who had his own barber's shop Mr Trim's, that was his passion.

"His close-knit family are incredibly proud of him and he is greatly missed by all of them and his many friends.

"You did not know Stuart Roe. You were clearly drunk.

'Not under any form of threat'

"At around 1.20am you and Mr Roe came across each other, there was some form of dispute between you and you said Mr Roe had asked you to give him your phone and you believed he might have had a knife.

"I accept he may have asked you something about a phone. I am sure Mr Roe did not have a knife with him. I am also sure whatever you might have thought in your drunken state you were not under any form of threat from Mr Roe.

"At 1.31am you reached your home and Mr Roe was some distance away. He was not threatening you and he did not approach you, but you took a knife from your house and you went in search of him, you found him and you stabbed him.

"He had been stabbed by you twice in the chest. One of the wounds was to his heart.

"I am sure you did not have any reason to fear Mr Roe. The lead-up to the attack is shown clear enough on CCTV images.

"You were following him, he turned around – there was no aggression from him whatsover – you lunged at him stabbing him twice with two swinging blows.

"It was utterly unprovoked and truly senseless. You took a knife from your home to the scene where you murdered Mr Roe."

In a statement after Turley pleaded guilty, Stuart's family said: "We are relieved at the outcome, and we would like to thank the police for all of their hard work and dedication which has left our son’s killer with no choice but to plead guilty to his murder.

“Stuart will always be missed, and although nothing will ever bring him back we are pleased that we have finally got justice for what happened to him.”