York man who murdered pensioner with hammer jailed for life

A man who murdered a pensioner with a hammer and a knife in his bedroom has been jailed for life.

Jason Holdgate attacked 72-year-old Michael Bradley at his home on Whitethorn Close in York between 30 October and 4 November last year, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Holdgate, 32, and his partner Nicola Anne Beck, 43, were known heroin addicts who had moved in with the victim.

Holdgate admitted murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. A murder charge was dropped against Beck, but she admitted vehicle theft for which she was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.

The court heard Holdgate and Beck stole Mr Bradley’s car and sold it for drug money after the attack.

A neighbour noticed something was wrong when Mr Bradley’s bins had not been taken in for a few days and his curtains remained closed.

They made a report to police, who found the victim on 4 November in an “undignified state”, with head and neck injuries on his blood-stained bedroom floor.

An investigation led officers to Holdgate and Beck, who were arrested on suspicion of murder and theft in the early hours of 5 November.

Holdgate pleaded guilty to murder and the charge of theft was allowed to lie on file.

The charge of murder was dropped against Beck after no evidence was found linking her to the attack.

Prosecutor Mark McKone KC told the court that, according to Beck, she had been having sex with Mr Bradley for money.

She claimed she was asked to move in and Holdgate later joined her.

Police found syringes, foil and methadone in the home and the couple were seen making regular trips in Mr Bradley’s Peugeot.

Investigating the murder scene, officers found the room had been rummaged through, indicating the couple had looked for money to take.

Mr Bradley’s body had also been dragged from the bed so they could look under the mattress for cash, the court heard.

In a notebook, Holdgate wrote a letter to Beck apologising to her and claimed he had acted after hearing Mr Bradley “slagging her off behind her back”.

Mr Bradley’s family described him as a “kind, hard-working and unassuming man”, who was a driver and enjoyed car boot sales.

His younger sister said it had been “incomprehensible” that his life had been taken in such a “senseless and brutal” way.

Friday would have been the victim’s 73rd birthday.

Det Supt Fran Naughton of North Yorkshire Police said: “Holdgate and Beck preyed on Mr Bradley and took advantage of him out of greed.

“Both Beck and Holdgate lived a chaotic life, moving from place to place, using class A drugs daily, and finding cash to fund their habit through any means possible.”

She thanked the community for providing “invaluable information” to the investigation.