A PENSIONER was tortured, stabbed and had accelerant poured over him in the moments before his death as his killer tried to get him to reveal his bank card details.
‘Malicious’ John Swannack left Bill Howard, who died as a result of the attack, on the sofa in his Accrington home with horrific injuries as he went off to buy groceries and booze with the cards he had stolen.
He was also later seen on CCTV pawning two gold rings, one of which was similar to a band owned by Mr Howard.
Preston Crown Court heard how the killer, who has a previous homicide conviction, was a crack addict who had been stealing from and defrauding vulnerable people in the Accrington area at around the same time he attacked Mr Howard in August.
Mr Howard when he was younger
Opening the case, Nicholas Johnson QC described how Mr Howard was found with several wounds to his face and chest while further small stab marks could be seen around his eyes.
These injuries, Mr Johnson said, were consistent with torture.
On Tuesday afternoon (March 15) Swannack, of St Leger Court, Accrington, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years, meaning he will be 89 before he is considered for parole.
Sentencing, The Honorary Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham said: “These injuries are horrific by any standard. They included lacerations to the head and stab wounds to his face, shoulder and abdomen.
“Clusters of marks around both eyes are indicative of him having been poked or stabbed with a knife or another sharp object. The doctor who performed the post-mortem was of the view that in order for these injuries to be inflicted, Mr Howard would have been restricted – either by restraints, fear or a loss of consciousness.”
The court heard how the pensioner’s body was found when his brother called the police, concerned as Mr Howard had failed to show up for a pre-arranged trip to the pub.
Mr Howard in more recent years
Speaking after the court case DCI Allan Davies said that in his career he has ‘rarely come across such a horrific set of circumstances’ as those surrounding the death of Mr Howard.
Welcoming the sentence which was passed, he added: “Swannack is a callous and manipulative individual who deliberately targeted elderly and vulnerable people so he could rip them off to fuel his expensive crack cocaine habit.
“Bill Howard couldn’t have been more different. He was a kind, quiet, unassuming man, who lived a simple life without bothering anybody. I cannot and do not want to imagine what he went through in the final hours of his life at the wicked hands of Swannack.”
DCI Allan Davies alongside Jack Howard and his son
In a heart-breaking statement read to the court, Jack Howard described how his brother had led a tragic life, with his wife dying young, leaving Mr Howard to bring up the couple’s son, who also died as a young adult.
Jack described how he had a close relationship with his brother, with the pair meeting twice a week to catch-up over a pint in the pub.
He said: “Despite living miles apart, we kept in touch often. We would meet up twice in a week in town. Bill would be waiting for me sat on a bench.
“We would shake hands or bump fists and call each other “Amigo” then head down the street to the pub. We would sit together on our own and just talk. We would chat about everything and discuss any worries we had.”
Concluding his victim impact statement, Jack said that when his brother died ‘a part of him died too’.
Jack and Bill Howard as children
Swannack also appeared in court charged with counts of theft and fraud relating to two other victims, one of which he poisoned in order to gain access to his bank card.
He has previous convictions for possession of a firearm, manslaughter and robbery.
Joanna White, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “John Swannack ruthlessly targeted vulnerable people and was prepared to go to any lengths, including torturing and killing a man for pocket money.
“We worked closely with Lancashire Police to build a robust prosecution case, which included the examination of many hours of CCTV footage. When faced with the overwhelming evidence against him, John Swannack was left with no other option than to plead guilty to all the offences he faced.”
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