Trio jailed for murder of vulnerable man thrown in river

A man from the Scottish Borders has been jailed for the murder of a vulnerable 22-year-old who was thrown in a river in Suffolk.

Sebastian Smith, 35, of Hawick in Roxburghshire, was one of three people imprisoned at Ipswich Crown Court for the murder of Joe Pooley, who needed the help of adult social care.

Mr Pooley’s body was found in the River Gipping in Ipswich on August 13, 2018.

Mr Pooley slept with co-defendant Becki West-Davidson, who then “stoked up hostility towards him in the hours leading up to his death”, an earlier trial at Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Detectives concluded Mr Pooley had been unlawfully killed in the early hours of August 7, 2018, and that his likely cause of death was immersion in water.

West-Davidson, 30, of Ipswich, and her two co-defendants – Smith and 31-year-old Sean Palmer from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – denied murder but were found guilty following a trial, Suffolk Police said.

West-Davidson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years for Mr Pooley’s murder, the force said, following a sentencing hearing on Monday.

Smith and Palmer, who both attacked Mr Pooley and threw him in the river, also received life sentences.

Smith must serve 21 years before he is considered for release and Palmer must serve 18 years, police said.

Detective inspector Karl Nightingale, of Suffolk Police’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Joe Pooley was a young man who wanted to be liked and sought friendship.

“Sadly, some people took advantage of his vulnerabilities and used him.

“The convictions and sentencing of Sebastian Smith, Sean Palmer and Becki West-Davidson bring to a close a long wait for some justice for Joe’s family.

“They have shown great resilience and patience throughout whilst also grieving the loss of a much-loved son, grandson, brother, uncle, family member and friend.

“My thoughts will always be with them.”

A fourth defendant, a 26-year-old woman, was cleared of murder and of manslaughter.