A SECURITY guard who tried to bludgeon a man to death at a disused North Yorkshire RAF base has been convicted of attempted murder and murder. 

For just over three weeks, a Carlisle Crown Court jury was shown damning evidence of 20-year-old Jack Crawley's hidden life - and his dark fascination with a serial killer and determination to violently target gay men. 

As the jury returned the guilty verdicts, Crawley showed no emotion, staring impassively ahead as the judge told him he will be sentenced on Wednesday morning.

It took the jury eight hours and 22 minutes to deliver the verdicts.

Crawley's co-defendant, 20-year-old Marcus Goodfellow, was cleared of knowing anything about the killing of Paul Taylor as he travelled in his car with Crawley on October 19 last year, the day after the killing.

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Crawley was first arrested in Cumbria after he killed Cumberland Infirmary catering manager Mr Taylor, with a hammer.

Mr Taylor, a 56-year-old married former soldier had a secret life of sexual liaisons at gay "hook up" sites. He had met Crawley through the gay dating app Grindr.

But police at that stage initially had no body and insufficient evidence to charge him. 

After he was released, Crawley skipped his bail.

Using a bizarre disguise - featuring a wig and a fake European accent - the then 19-year-old took trains to Aberdeen, Glasgow, and York, where he targeted a second gay man in an "almost carbon copy" attack, meeting his intended victim on a remote country lane at RAF Acaster Malbis in January this year and again using a hammer as a weapon.

During the trial, the man described fighting for his life.

Though injured, he disarmed his attacker, fighting back before Crawley fled into the night.

Crawley also told the jury he used a claw hammer  because the man threatened him.

It was when Crawley and Mr Taylor met late on October 18 last year that Crawley became a killer, unleashing a frenzied hammer attack.

Mr Taylor (pictured) suffered fatal head wounds, his skull and face shattered by at least ten forceful blows.

(Image: Cumbria Police)

Crawley then bundled the corpse into the boot his Mr Taylor's Vauxhall Corsa before moving it to Finglandrigg Nature Reserve, west of Carlisle, where he first tried to burn the remains before dumping them in a hollow.

The Annan man's disappearance triggered desperate police appeals for information.

 

Forensic tents at Finglandrigg wood near Carlisle, where Paul Taylor's remains were foundForensic tents at Finglandrigg wood near Carlisle, where Paul Taylor's remains were found (Image: Cumbria Police)

During his trial, the killer claimed he was being controlled by a London-based crime gang. 

He only ever meant to steal Mr Taylor's car, he said.

He claimed Mr Taylor was fatally injured when he fell during a struggle as he tried to steal his car; he inflicted the skull and face fractures as he used a hammer in an attempt to break up his victim's dead body, he claimed.

Crawley also tried to explain away defence injuries on Mr Taylor's arm bones - evidence of his desperate attempt to protect himself. According to Crawley, the injuries resulted from him shutting the Corsa's boot lid on his victim's arm. 

The jury saw through all his lies.