Jonathan Bowling, 22, handed life sentence for murder of Alan Greaves on Christmas Eve, while Ashley Foster jailed for nine years for manslaughter
Alan Greaves with his wife Maureen. The lay preacher was battered around the head with a pickaxe handle on Christmas Eve and died three days later in hospital.
A man who battered a church organist to death as he walked to midnight mass has been jailed for a minimum of 25 years by a judge who told him: "Why you wished to inflict violence on another human being on Christmas Eve is known only to you."
Mr Justice Teare made the comment at Sheffield crown court on Friday as he sentenced Jonathan Bowling to life in prison for the murder of Alan Greaves, 68.
Bowling, 22, battered the lay preacher around the head with a pickaxe handle as he walked to St Saviour's Church in High Green, Sheffield, to play the organ on 24 December last year. The father-of-four suffered catastrophic head injuries and died three days later in hospital.
Another man, Ashley Foster, 22, was found guilty on Thursday of Greaves's manslaughter and was jailed on Friday for nine years.
The judge told Bowling and Foster: "You chose your victim at random. Alan Greaves happened to be in front of you, on his way to serve the community, as he had always done, and you decided to inflict violence on him."
The judge said the attack took place on Christmas Eve "on what is usually one of the happiest days of the year".
He said: "Neither of you knew Alan Greaves. He had done nothing to provoke the attack on him.
"He was merely walking to church to help his local community celebrate Christmas.
"His wife, his family and his community have suffered a tragic and horrendous loss," said the judge.
There was no repeat of the dramatic scene in court after Thursday's manslaughter verdict on Foster. Bowling had admitted murder at a previous hearing.
Greaves's widow, Maureen, said she was happy with the sentences.
Outside court, she said: "I really am extremely pleased with the result today.
"To think Ashley's got nine years is the very best we could have got in the circumstances of the manslaughter.
"To think that Jonathan's got 25 minimum and to think he'll probably never come out, I really am wonderfully pleased with the result."
She told reporters she would not read a letter Bowling had written to her.
"To put it into my hands the day he was going to get sentenced, I didn't think it was very appropriate," she said.
"If he was going to write me a letter he should have written it a long time ago."
Mrs Greaves said she had given the letter to Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, of South Yorkshire police, to look after in case she changed her mind.
Mr Justice Teare made the comment at Sheffield crown court on Friday as he sentenced Jonathan Bowling to life in prison for the murder of Alan Greaves, 68.
Bowling, 22, battered the lay preacher around the head with a pickaxe handle as he walked to St Saviour's Church in High Green, Sheffield, to play the organ on 24 December last year. The father-of-four suffered catastrophic head injuries and died three days later in hospital.
Another man, Ashley Foster, 22, was found guilty on Thursday of Greaves's manslaughter and was jailed on Friday for nine years.
The judge told Bowling and Foster: "You chose your victim at random. Alan Greaves happened to be in front of you, on his way to serve the community, as he had always done, and you decided to inflict violence on him."
The judge said the attack took place on Christmas Eve "on what is usually one of the happiest days of the year".
He said: "Neither of you knew Alan Greaves. He had done nothing to provoke the attack on him.
"He was merely walking to church to help his local community celebrate Christmas.
"His wife, his family and his community have suffered a tragic and horrendous loss," said the judge.
There was no repeat of the dramatic scene in court after Thursday's manslaughter verdict on Foster. Bowling had admitted murder at a previous hearing.
Greaves's widow, Maureen, said she was happy with the sentences.
Outside court, she said: "I really am extremely pleased with the result today.
"To think Ashley's got nine years is the very best we could have got in the circumstances of the manslaughter.
"To think that Jonathan's got 25 minimum and to think he'll probably never come out, I really am wonderfully pleased with the result."
She told reporters she would not read a letter Bowling had written to her.
"To put it into my hands the day he was going to get sentenced, I didn't think it was very appropriate," she said.
"If he was going to write me a letter he should have written it a long time ago."
Mrs Greaves said she had given the letter to Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, of South Yorkshire police, to look after in case she changed her mind.
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