Vigilante father and son given life sentences after murdering thief using dagger and ninja sword

They armed themselves with a 27-inch sword after seeing a thief on CCTV

David King, 56, and his son Edward, 20, were convicted of the murder of 47-year-old Neil Charles after they attacked him with a ninja sword and knife.

They had taken it upon themselves to act as 'vigilantes' after they were alerted to Charles trying to open car and house doors on their estate.

Suffolk Police said the pair decided to "take the law into their own hands" instead of contacting police.

Text messages revealed that both David and Edward had a "fascination with weapons" and a "clear intent and desire to deal with any perceived criminals themselves."

They were found guilty by a unanimous verdict in May last year, following a 10-week trial. 

At around 3:55am on June 20, police received a call from David saying a man had been trying to steal from his car on Moreton Hall estate.

He told the operator that he had tried to apprehend the thief, admitting that he had a knife in his hand and had injured Charles before he ran away.

Charles - who had a number of previous convictions for theft and burglary - was taken to hospital but died on June 22, from a single 12cm stab wound to the chest.

The father and son duo had been alerted to Charles' activity by their own CCTV, and armed themselves with weapons. David had a Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife - a double edged knife resembling a dagger - whilst Edward had with him a 27-inch Ninja Sword.

It was David's weapon that inflicted the fatal wound, with Edward injuring Charles using the sword. Charles was "some distance from the Kings' property" when the pair caught up with him and delivered the fatal blow.

David was arrested at the scene, with police detaining Edward later in the day.

A search of their home found numerous weapons including lock knives, knuckle dusters and a samurai sword.

David will serve a minimum of 21 years behind bars, whilst Edward will serve a minimum of 19.

In a victim impact statement, Linnet Booth, the sister of Mr Charles, described him as a "kind and gentle person" who was "never aggressive and always one to retreat when he didn't like a situation."

She said: "We know he took the wrong path in life but he wasn't violent or aggressive and that night he was simply trying to get away."

Detective Chief Inspector Karl Nightingale, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Neil Charles had a family who loved him, including parents and siblings, and was due to be married in August 2021. At just 47-years-old, Neil’s life was taken by David and Edward King who needlessly pursued and murdered him in the early hours of Sunday 20 June 2021.

DCI Nightingale said the trial proved that the actions of David and Edward were "not spontaneous" and that their choice of weapons demonstrated "their intentions once they found Mr Charles."

He added that the father and son had "shown arrogance and contempt throughout" and never showed "any hint of genuine remorse or humility for their actions."

Heather King, the wife of David and mother of Edward, said in a statement that the family were "in the process of appealing" the convictions.

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