Man convicted of homophobic murder jailed for life
A man who was convicted yesterday of the murder and attempted murder of a south London gay couple has received a life prison sentence.
Jobless David Kilcullen, 46, was sentenced to a minimum of 32 years in prison this morning at the Old Bailey.
He took a knife to the Bromley home of Gerry Edwards and Chris Bevan in March. He stabbed Edwards to death, while Bevan was severely injured in the attack.
Judge Brian Barker said there had been at least an “undercurrent of homophobic attitude” and said Kilcullen may never be freed.
Kilcullen pleaded not guilty to the attack, falsely claiming the pair had sexually assaulted him.
But the jury heard that he had visited their home to steal, expecting Edwards, who was in poor health, to be alone in the house.
It was claimed that he then began stabbing Edwards and turned on Bevan when he tried to intervene. Bevan survived the attack “by chance” and spent months in hospital recovering from his injuries.
In a victim impact statement read our to court, Bevan said: “This mindless act of violence has robbed Gerry and me both of our lives.
“He did not deserve to lose his life in such an evil and shocking way, nor did I deserve to have my life affected in such an enormous way.”
