Norfolk killer who murdered former friend in brutal attack 'was traced by bloody shoes'

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Stephen Grimwood brutally attacked his former friend in April last year. Credit: ITV News Anglia/Norfolk Police

A killer who beat his friend so badly that police initially believed he had been shot must serve at least 18 years behind bars - after police tracked him down by the traces of blood and brains on his shoes.

Stephen Grimwood, 64, murdered his former friend Mark Franklin in his home in Appleyard Crescent in Norwich on 26 April 2022.

Mr Franklin’s body was not discovered until the evening of Friday 29 April when police found him lying on the floor with a severe head injury. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bloody footprints were found on the kitchen floor and a post-mortem revealed he died from a traumatic head injury.

Stephen Grimwood was told he must serve a minimum of 18 years Credit: Norfolk Police

CCTV footage showed Grimwood leaving Mr Franklin’s home on the following Tuesday and withdrawing £500 in cash from the victim’s account using an ATM machine.

Yet he lied in police interviews, telling detectives his victim had given him permission to take the money.

Witnesses had previously said also said they saw Grimwood visit the house twice a week, with one neighbour suggesting he had debts of thousands of pounds with Mr Franklin - something Grimwood denied.

Although Grimwood’s clothing captured on CCTV footage at the time of the killing has never been recovered, forensic analysis of a pair of his shoes confirmed traces of Mr Franklin’s brain and blood.

Grimwood was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court after a jury unanimously convicted him of murdering Mr Franklin following a trial last month. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison.

Det Insp Lewis Craske said: “Everything suggests Grimwood murdered his friend because of money but the truth is we may never know why Grimwood decided to kill Mr Franklin and why he inflicted such brutality on his friend.

"Although nothing can change what happened, the man responsible for Mr Franklin’s murder has been brought to justice. Our thoughts remain with Mr Franklin’s family.”

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