Brothers convicted of murdering Sutton Coldfield man, aged 87, and another pensioner

A pair of evil brothers have been found guilty of murder after two pensioners were killed as a result of injuries sustained in separate brutal robberies.

Arthur Gumbley, 87, who lived in Little Aston in Sutton Coldfield, died three weeks after being callously beaten by Amos Wilsher, 29, and his brother Jason, 22, who stormed his property in November 2017.

The travellers burst into the retired company director’s £700,000 bungalow and repeatedly punched and kicked him as he lay helplessly on the ground.

Police released shocking pictures of Mr Gumbley’s injuries as he lay in his hospital bed before he passed away three weeks later on December 12, 2017.

The killers were caught three years later after Amos Wilsher, acting alone, killed viciously attacked Josephine Kaye, 88, at her home in Stoke-on-Trent in February 2020.

They were also convicted of wounding a third pensioner, with intent.

How did the brother’s attack their victims?

Mr Gumbley, who was known as Bob, was also dragged across the floor and suffered carpet burns to his back as he had a watch forcibly pulled from his wrist - skinning the flesh from his hand.

He was found in a pool of blood and rushed to hospital where he was treated for severe bruising to his left eye, neck, chest, hands and right arm.

Acting alone, Amos Wilsher posed as a gas firm worker to remove a padlock from a gate before attacking Mrs Kaye and stealing her safe containing £20,000.

She was thrown to the ground and threatened with a screwdriver.

She suffered a broken leg and significant bruising and later died of her injuries in hospital three weeks later on March 17.

The siblings were also found guilty of wounding with intent and conspiracy to rob after a third pensioner - Dennis Taylor, 82 - who was attacked.

Three masked men had knocked on his farmhouse door in Mansfield before he was repeatedly struck on the head, hit with a baseball bat and had a knife pushed through his lip.

The men ransacked his home before making off with jewellery and £800 in cash after demanding the code for his safe.

A Mazda was caught on nearby CCTV speeding towards and away from the farm before it was found burnt out later that evening in a country lane.

When were the brothers convicted?

On Monday Amos was found guilty of the murders of both Mr Gumbley and Mrs Kaye following a trial at Coventry Crown Court.

Jason was found guilty of murdering Mr Gumbley after a jury of six men and six women spent five hours and 50 minutes deliberating.

DNA evidence later linked them to the crime scenes.

Jason was previously convicted of Mr Gumbley’s murder in 2019 but was granted a re-trial.

Judge Andrew Henshaw thanked the jury. Both defendants, formerly of Alfreton, Derbyshire, were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed.

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