Dudley, West Midlands – A builder has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a customer following a dispute over an extension at her home. Peter Norgrove, 43, pleaded guilty to the murder of Sharon Gordon, 58, who died from severe head injuries. Norgrove will serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.
The court heard that Norgrove, a recently qualified bricklayer, was caught on doorbell and security camera footage before he killed Ms. Gordon at her house in Bromford Road, Holly Hall, Dudley. Mrs. Gordon’s body was discovered at the foot of her stairs after concerned friends called at her home on 21 July last year.
Norgrove met Ms. Gordon through a mutual friend at the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall they attended and was paid £29,000 to build the extension within two months. During the investigation into Mrs. Gordon’s death, blood-stained items were found in a wheelie bin at a family address linked to Norgrove, and further searches of the address revealed a lump hammer hidden in a shed by a victim detection dog, with traces of Mrs. Gordon’s blood on it.
Passing sentence, Judge Chambers said the “brutal and savage” offence, involving eight blows to the head, was aggravated by a false statement Norgrove gave police saying his victim was alive and well when he left the property. Detective Inspector Damian Forrest, who led the investigation, commented that “Mrs. Gordon tragically lost her life following a violent attack by Peter Norgrove, which appears to have stemmed from him losing his temper after a disagreement over the work he was carrying out.”
Mrs. Gordon’s family expressed their devastation, stating, “We remain devastated at the loss of our beloved sister Sharon and our lives will never be the same again. Sharon had much to live for, and no one could anticipate that renovating your home would end in murder. Sharon simply wanted to improve her home, but sadly she was brutally taken and will never enjoy any of its benefits.”
This tragic case serves as a reminder of the potential dangers lurking within seemingly innocuous disputes, shedding light on the devastating consequences of unchecked anger and violence. Despite the sentencing of Norgrove, the wounds caused by this senseless act of violence will continue to reverberate within Mrs. Gordon’s family and community.