In a harrowing case that shook the community of Dudley, a builder has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Gordon, a 58-year-old woman who had hired him to construct an extension to her home.
Peter Norgrove, 43, received a minimum term of 15 years after pleading guilty to the murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court. The court heard how Norgrove brutally attacked Gordon with a hammer, inflicting severe skull fractures, following persistent delays in completing the construction project.
Norgrove, a recently qualified bricklayer who met Gordon through mutual acquaintances at a local Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall, had agreed to complete the extension within two months for a fee of £29,000. However, the project was significantly behind schedule, causing tension between the two.
CCTV footage captured Norgrove entering Gordon’s home wearing rubber gloves before the attack took place. The court was told that he had given a false statement to the police, claiming Gordon was alive when he left the property.
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In his sentencing remarks, Judge Michael Chambers KC described the murder as “brutal and savage,” with Norgrove delivering eight blows to Gordon’s head. The court learned that Gordon’s body was discovered by friends a day after the attack, with evidence suggesting she may have lived for up to an hour following the assault.
Detective Inspector Damian Forrest, who led the investigation, stated that the attack appeared to stem from Norgrove losing his temper over disagreements regarding the construction work. He expressed condolences to Gordon’s loved ones, acknowledging the profound impact of her death on their lives.
Prior to sentencing, Gordon’s daughter, Rhian Brown, addressed the court, expressing the enduring trauma caused by her mother’s violent death. She described the torment of imagining her mother’s final moments and emphasized the irreparable loss suffered by the family.
The case has sparked widespread shock and sadness in Dudley, serving as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of violence stemming from domestic disputes.
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