Moment husband and son are arrested for murdering his wife's lover
Moment husband and son are arrested for murdering his wife’s lover after they caught him hiding in wardrobe and battered him to death
- Wayne Peckham and his son Riley, 23, acted ‘like pack of animals’ during attack
- Victim Matthew Rodwell died after being kicked, stamped and punched by pair
- Police footage captured the moment that the father and son were arrested
This is the moment that a husband and son were arrested for murdering his estranged wife’s lover after they caught him hiding in a wardrobe and battered him to death.
Wayne Peckham, 49, and Riley Peckham, 23, carried out a ‘harrowing and brutal’ joint attack on Matthew Rodwell, 39, after he started living with Kerry Packham.
The father and son of Hilgay, Norfolk, denied murder, but a jury took only ten hours to find them unanimously guilty on Thursday after a six week trial. They will be sentenced on April 13.
Police bodycam footage shows the moment that the father and son were arrested by Norfolk Police on January 23, 2022 – the same day as the savage attack. Officers said they arrived to a ‘chaotic and distressing scene’ as they handcuffed the pair.
Video footage shows Wayne being arrested first as officers explain how Mr Rodwell was ‘kicked and punched to the floor and he’s now deceased’.
Police bodycam footage captured the moment that Wayne and Riley Peckham (pictured) were arrested for the ‘harrowing and brutal’ joint attack on Matthew Rodwell
Wayne and Riley moved a doorbell camera and a CCTV camera in the back garden earlier in the day before the savage attack
Riley fled from the scene as officers gave first aid to the victim but he was found at a nearby relative’s home two hours later.
When asked by officers if he understood, Riley replied ‘Not really. Murder?’ When an officer confirmed why he was under arrest, the 23-year-old said: ‘You’re joking ain’t ya?’
Further footage supplied by Norfolk Police show Wayne and Riley both moved cameras at the property camera earlier in the day of the brutal attack.
Norwich Crown Court heard how Mr Rodwell went to hide in the wardrobe when he realised Wayne and Riley were outside the house in Downham Market, Norfolk.
He made a desperate 999 call from his hiding place in the bedroom of Mrs Peckham’s younger son as Riley climbed in through an upstairs window and his father let himself in.
Riley ignored his mother’s pleas to leave before picking up Mr Rodwell’s shoes, and looked in the cupboard, calling out: ‘He’s here’.
The court heard how Riley yelled, ‘You’re going to die, you’re going to die’ as his father entered the house.
The pair beat Mr Rodwell, a refuse worker for Serco, at the bottom of the stairs as mother-of-three Mrs Peckham desperately tried to get between them to protect her partner.
Wayne (left) and his son Riley (right) acted ‘like a pack of animals’ when they attacked 39-year-old Matthew Rodwell, Norfolk Police said
Mr Rodwell (right) was in a relationship with Wayne’s wife Kerry Peckham (left)
Father-of-two Mr Rodwell died at the scene, and Wayne was arrested in the house after allegedly trying to hide behind a curtain.
A post mortem revealed Mr Rodwell had 40 ‘significant’ injuries after being repeatedly kicked, stamped and punched. His likely cause of death appeared to be manual strangulation.
The court heard how his blood was found on the clothing of Wayne and Riley, and his DNA was under both men’s fingernails. Riley’s DNA was also found on Mr Rodwell’s neck.
Wayne was convicted of two counts of assault causing ABH in relation to an earlier incident involving another family in Downham Market in December 2021, and another charge of assaulting his estranged wife causing ABH on the night of the murder. He was cleared of another charge of assault by beating in relation to the earlier incident. Riley was convicted of assault causing ABH in relation to the December incident.
Mrs Peckham began a relationship with father-of-two Mr Rodwell after splitting up from her ‘volatile and controlling’ husband in Spring 2021.
Jurors were told how he later moved into her home, but had been parking his car some distance away to avoid her estranged husband finding out.
Mr Rodwell (pictured), 39, is said to have been repeatedly kicked, stamped and punched and his likely cause of death appeared to be manual strangulation
Mr Rodwell was pronounced dead at the house in Downham Market, Norfolk. The cause of death was strangulation
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC described the attack on Mr Rodwell as a ‘planned and vicious assault’.
She added: ‘Riley and Wayne were at the time of the incidents not just father and son, but close allies.
‘Both of them were content to use aggression and violence to achieve their aims’.
The court heard how Wayne had spent the afternoon in the pub before heading to his wife’s home with his son.
The pair moved a doorbell camera and a CCTV camera in the back garden before entering the house, and ‘acted together to settle scores’ in a ‘joint enterprise’, the court heard.
Ms Karmy-Jones said Mr Rodwell, from Fincham, Norfolk, had been terrified about being found by Riley and Wayne’ and hid in the cupboard when he realised they had turned up at the house just before 8pm.
She said: ‘Matthew, still hiding in a cupboard upstairs, heard Kerry downstairs. He hid in the wardrobe and called 999.’
During the call from the bedroom wardrobe, he expressed ‘genuine fear about what was about to take place’, added Ms Karmy-Jones.
Police arrived at about 8.05pm and could hear ‘screaming’ from inside the house.
Kerry came to the door with the body of Mr Rodwell was found lying in the hall.
Riley and Mr Rodwell (right) fought upstairs, while Mrs Peckham (left) tried to restrain Wayne downstairs
The court heard that Kerry Peckham had split from husband Wayne (left) in Spring 2021. Her son Riley (right) is said to have found Mr Rodwell hiding in a wardrobe at her home
Her husband was detained at the scene, after he had initially tried to hide behind a curtain, while Riley was handcuffed, but then escaped, the court was told.
He was caught a couple of hours later at his step-grandfather’s address.
Ms Karmy-Jones said Wayne could be ‘aggressive’ after drinking and was a ‘bad influence’ on his son Riley.
Wayne told officers after his arrest that he believed his actions were ‘lawful’ and that he had acted in self defence as Mr Rodwell had punched him, causing his nose to bleed, so he had punched him back.
Riley denied pushing Mr Rodwell and claimed they ‘somehow’ ended up at the bottom of the stairs after he had a brief blackout.
Norfolk Police described the murder as ‘harrowing and brutal’ in a statement after the hearing.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Chris Burgess, from the Major Investigation Team, welcomed the conviction.
He said: ‘This was a harrowing and brutal murder and I know some of the evidence given in court, especially the 999 call, has been difficult to listen to.
‘In this call, we hear the final frightening moments of Matthew’s life, a life taken by the actions of two men overcome with jealousy and rage, acting like a pack of animals.’
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