Traveller brothers are found GUILTY of murdering two pensioners, 87 and 88, who were beaten and tortured in their homes three years apart and conspiracy to rob an 82-year-old man
- Amos and Jason Wilsher stormed Arthur Gumbley’s West Midlands home in 2017
- Brothers violent assaulted Mr Gumbley and he died weeks later from his injuries
- Pair also raided home of Dennis Taylor, 82, who survived but was badly injured
- In 2020, Amos acted alone when he violently robbed home of Josephine Kaye
- Mrs Kaye, who lived alone, also died weeks later from as a result of Amos’ attack
A pair of Traveller brothers have been found guilty of murdering two pensioners who were killed after two separate violent robberies three years apart.
Arthur Gumbley, 87, passed away three weeks after being callously beaten by Amos Wilsher, 29, and his brother Jason, 22, who stormed his property in November 2017.
The travellers burst into the retired company director’s £700,000 bungalow in Little Aston, West Mids., and repeatedly punched and kicked him as he lay helplessly on the ground.
He was also dragged across the floor, suffering carpet burns to his back and had a watch forcibly pulled from his wrist, skinning the flesh from his hand.
The OAP, known as Bob, was found in a pool of blood and rushed to hospital where he was treated for severe bruising to his left eye, neck, chest, hands and right arm.
Police released shocking pictures of Mr Gumbley’s injuries as he lay in his hospital bed before he passed away from his injuries three weeks later on December 12, 2017.
Traveller brothers Amos (left) and Jason Wilsher (right) have been found guilty of murdering two pensioners who were killed after two separate violent robberies three years apart
Pictured: Arthur ‘Bob’ Gumbley (pictured with his late wife Barbara) died weeks later as a result of his injuries after the violent home invasion in 2017 carried out by the Wilsher brothers
Amos Wilsher then acted alone when he viciously attacked Josephine Kaye, 88, at her home in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., in February 2020.
He posed as a gas firm worker to remove a padlock from a gate before attacking Mrs Kaye and stealing her safe containing £20,000.
The OAP was thrown to the ground and threatened with a screwdriver.
She suffered a broken leg and significant bruising and later died of her injuries in hospital three weeks later on March 17.
Today, Amos was found guilty of the murders of both Mr Gumbley and Mrs Kaye following a trial at Coventry Crown Court.
Brother Jason was found guilty of murdering Mr Gumbley after a jury of six men and six women spent 5 hours and 50 minutes deliberating.
In the wake of the attack, Staffordshire Police released these images of Mr Gumbley, with his family’s permission, to show the nature and extent of his injuries as they appealed for help
Josephine Kaye died from injuries suffered as a result of the violent raid carried out by Amos
The jury further convicted the brothers, described in court as being members of a large family from the Traveller community, of conspiracy to rob and grievous bodily harm in connection to an attack on another pensioner.
At the start of the trial, prosecution QC Simon Denison said three robbers had travelled south from the Tibshelf area of Derbyshire looking for ‘easy targets’ near to where Mr Gumbley lived.
After smashing the window in the kitchen door at the back of the house to gain entry to the property, the raiders punched Mr Gumbley in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Mr Denison said: ‘They kicked him in the shoulder and back, they dragged him through his house, they ripped his watch from his wrist, tearing the fragile skin from the back of his hand.
‘They ransacked his house, and they took money, items of jewellery that had belonged to his late wife, and a number of antique items that he had accumulated over the course of his long life.’
The violence inflicted on Mr Gumbley caused injury to his brain and four displaced rib fractures, as well as widespread bruising.
Pictured: Forensic investigators spent four weeks scouring Mr Gumbley’s home for evidence
Pictured: The soap box on which forensic officers recovered DNA matching Amos Wilsher
The pensioner was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries, but their effect ‘was too much for his body to withstand’ and he died on December 12 2017.
The siblings were also found guilty of wounding with intent and conspiracy to rob after a third pensioner Dennis Taylor, 82, was attacked at his home in November 2017 – four days after the raid on Mr Gumbley’s home.
Three masked men had knocked on his farmhouse door in Mansfield, Notts., and posed as police officers before he was repeatedly struck on the head, hit with a baseball bat and had a knife pushed through his lip. He also suffered a broken nose and fractured fingers.
The men ransacked his home before making off with jewellery and £800 in cash after demanding the code for his safe.
Mr Denison said Mrs Kaye, who was only 4ft 8ins and lived alone, was attacked on the evening of February 27 2020.
Jurors were told Mrs Kaye was born and raised in Dublin, where she married and had her first daughter, before moving to Stoke-on-Trent in 1955 when her husband was offered a job there.
Pictured: Amos Wilsher was caught on CCTV buying a screwdriver and red gloves in B&Q
Pictured: Staffordshire Police were able to link this burnt out Mazda RX8 to both 2017 scenes
The prosecutor said: ‘She was attacked in her home on that Thursday evening by one man, acting alone.
‘He repeatedly threw her to the ground, he dragged her through her home and he threatened her with a screwdriver. He found her safe in a cupboard and demanded that she tell him the code, which she couldn’t do.’
Staffordshire Police said the brothers were caught by DNA evidence found at two of the scenes by forensic investigators in 2017.
Detectives first placed the burnt-out blue Mazda RX8 in the area of the attacks on both Mr Gumbley and Mr Taylor following a four-month long study of CCTV.
Officers found out it had been sold privately in London and telephone numbers involved in the sale led to the Wilshers.
An alias of ‘John Smiff’ had been given and an address in Bagworth, Leics., was written on the V62 document which was another Wilsher family address.
The court heard the Wilsher brothers tracked down vulnerable victims to target. Pictured: Josephine Kaye lived alone at the time of her death when she was targeted by Amos Wilsher
Forensic work was carried out at Mr Gumbley’s bungalow and a DNA profile matching Jason was lifted from a drawer handle in the bedroom
Evidence from Amos’ electronic tag was used to place him away from his home address during the offences and returning soon after they took place.
Amos was then linked to the attack on Mrs Kaye after his DNA was found on a security light that had been tampered with and a soap tin the attacker had left on her bed.
He was also scientifically linked to a grey Honda used in the robbery as well as having been captured on CCTV driving past her house at the time she said a man came and removed a padlock from her gate.
On the back seat of the Honda were fragments from Josephine’s cupboard, and a black woollen hat she described the burglar as wearing, that had Amos’ DNA on the inside headband.
Det Ch Insp Dan Ison, of Staffordshire Police’s Major Investigations Department, said: ‘Amos and Jason Wilsher targeted elderly, vulnerable victims who lived alone.
Pictured: the drawer which has Jason’s DNA on the handle in a room in Mr Gumbley’s house
‘They ruthlessly and unnecessarily used violence which caused the deaths of 87-year-old Arthur Gumbley and 88-year-old Josephine Kaye.
‘I would like to pay tribute to Dennis Taylor who survived an attack by the brothers and thank him for reliving the horrific ordeal he was subjected to which has been significant in helping secure their convictions.
‘My thoughts remain with Arthur and Josephine’s families and I thank them for their support of the investigation.
‘During the trial, they have had to listen to the detail of what happened and have conducted themselves with dignity throughout.
‘No sentence will bring back the lives of Arthur and Josephine but I hope the convictions will provide closure knowing that justice has now been served.
‘Finally, I want to thank the investigative team who have worked tirelessly for four and a half years to ensure that these two men have been removed from our streets, resulting in not only Staffordshire being a safer place but also the West Midlands region where the brothers were operating.
‘Their commitment is humbling and I am proud to have led this investigation with such a dedicated team of police officers and staff.’
Judge Andrew Henshaw thanked the jury and both defendants, formerly of Alfreton, Derbys., were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed.
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