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Murderer who 'dominated and exploited' popular DJ and stole his benefits is jailed

Ashley Crowder, 37, has been jailed for life for murdering father and former DJ Graham Cox, 37, after subjecting him to weeks of abuse before strangling him to death

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Graham Cox was a dad, musician and former DJ (Image: MEN Media)

A cowardly murderer who "dominated" and "exploited" a vulnerable father and former DJ during a sustained campaign of torture has been jailed.

Ashley Crowder, 37, abused musician Graham Cox, 37, over several weeks before beating and strangling him to death in Bolton in March 2024.

At Bolton Crown Court on Thursday, Crowder was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years after being found guilty in June of murder, assault and theft in relation to Mr Cox.

Mr Cox's body was discovered under a blanket on the sofa at Crowder's flat in Farnworth on March 4, 2024. A post-mortem examination found Mr Cox had sustained a litany of internal and external injuries, 14 of which had been inflicted with a weapon, the Manchester Evening News reports.

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Ashley Crowder was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years(Image: Greater Manchester Police)

The court heard Mr Cox's death was the result of the "cumulative effects" of a campaign of "prolonged cruelty" inflicted on the "severely disabled" and "physically weak" man. The "final act" was strangulation, which Judge Nicholas Clarke KC said Crowder carried out with the intention of killing him.

During the first part of his sentencing hearing on July 29, Crowder refused to enter the courtroom to hear statements from Mr Cox's loved ones. He also refused to answer most questions in police interviews and chose not to give evidence at his trial.

The dock was empty again on Thursday as Judge Clarke sentenced Crowder. Prosecutor Mukul Chawla KC said Crowder was in the building but had again refused to come into court.

The judge said Mr Cox's family were "disgusted" by Crowder's behaviour throughout the trial and that he had shown "disrespect" and "disregard" for "the family, the court and the process".

"At no point has he shown any compassion for the family's suffering or remorse for what he did," the judge said.

Mr Cox was a talented footballer who played for one of Bolton Wanderers' youth teams. He was also a gifted artist, musician and DJ, winning a scholarship to a music college in Manchester before securing a spot on a radio station. He went on to headline venues and produce his own music.

Towards the end of his life, Mr Cox, who was a "long-term drug user", was "overcome by ill-health and addiction", the court was told. A spinal abscess required implants to be fitted, and in 2023 he suffered a stroke, leaving him with weakness on his left side.

Judge Clarke said that by March 2024, Mr Cox was "particularly vulnerable" after being left homeless when his flat had been rendered "uninhabitable".

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Officers found Mr Cox's body inside a flat on Barton Walk on March 5, 2024(Image: MEN Media)

The court heard that in the weeks leading up to February 2024, Mr Cox was effectively "held hostage" at Crowder's flat on Barton Walk. Crowder made "menacing demands" for money, stole his benefits on four occasions and repeatedly beat Mr Cox.

On February 24, 2024, Mr Cox attended the Urban Care and Neighbourhood Centre (UCAN) in New Bury, where he regularly sought support, in a "terrible" state.

He had black eyes and head bruising and claimed he had been held hostage by Crowder for two weeks.

"My money has been taken off me and I was beaten up regularly and sometimes not even for a reason," Mr Cox said in a statement.

On March 5, 2024, officers received a report from an anonymous caller who said there were rumours that a man had died in a flat on Barton Walk after being badly beaten.

Crowder claimed he was "just about to phone the ambulance" when emergency services arrived. He told police officers he had been looking after Mr Cox but that he had fallen days earlier and sustained a bleed on the brain.

The judge said that after killing Mr Cox, Crowder had "failed to promptly call for help" and had "shown no compassion at all" for his victim, adding that there was "instead concealment of the death, delay and attempted self-preservation".

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Naismith, from Greater Manchester Police's Major Incident Team, said: "Graham Cox was a father, a former DJ and a much-loved member of his family. He was also a vulnerable man who, sadly, found himself relying on others for support.

"Instead of receiving the compassion he deserved, he was exploited, abused and ultimately subjected to a brutal and sustained assault at the hands of someone he trusted.

"Crowder took advantage of Graham's vulnerabilities, controlling his money, stealing his benefits and repeatedly assaulting him. These sorts of acts have no place in Greater Manchester, and we will always seek to get justice for victims of crimes like this.

"Our thoughts remain with Graham's family, who have shown immense strength and dignity throughout this investigation.

"We hope today's sentence provides them with a measure of justice and demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who target and abuse vulnerable people."

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