Adrian Frost, 61, shot dead 26-year-old Connor Batty when he and two other friends forced entry to his home in Hemsworth, near Wakefield, West Yorks on September 11 last year
A drug dealer who shot a burglar with a shotgun before chillingly asking him if he “wanted an aspirin” as he lay dying has been found guilty of murder.
Adrian Frost, 61, shot dead 26-year-old Connor Batty when he and two other friends forced entry to his home in Hemsworth, near Wakefield, West Yorks, on September 11 last year. A court heard that after the shooting Frost sent out a message to his brother telling him Mr Batty was “dead as a post” and even took photos of his body.
Frost denied murdering Mr Batty, instead claiming he acted in self-defence and went on trial at Leeds Crown Court. On Wednesday July 8 he was found guilty of the charge at the same court. The court heard Mr Batty and his two other friends had been armed with a pistol, baseball bat, and shears when they broke into Frost’s home looking to steal his cannabis grow and illicit wealth.
A neighbour had called police at 9.36pm reporting men trying to break into the address before Frost called 999 shortly afterwards to say he had shot someone trying to get into his house. Armed officers attended the scene and found Mr Batty lying unconscious outside the property. Emergency services scrambled to the scene but despite attempts to revive him he was found dead a short time later by paramedics.
Frost was then arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into custody and an investigation was launched. Officers seized his phone found a message he had sent to his brother with a picture of Mr Batty lying fatally wounded and a comment that he had done it.
He was also recorded on his home CCTV making a phone call to his brother in the immediate aftermath and at one point during the call was heard laughing and commenting “do you want an aspirin mate?” about Mr Batty.
During the trial, Frost was quizzed by prosecutor Tom Storey KC who asked him if he found the aspirin comment “amusing”. Frost replied: “I did not find it amusing at all. I was in shock. I do not know why I said it.”
CCTV enquiries and witness accounts showed Mr Batty and two accomplices had arrived at the address in a van. They were initially scared away by Frost’s rottweiler dogs before returning and confronting him at the rear of the property and making demands.
Frost retreated inside and locked the door before going upstairs to his bedroom and loading the double-barrelled shotgun, which he had previously shortened by sawing the barrels and butt, and kept down the side of his bed.
The back door was kicked open by Mr Batty who passed through the kitchen and dining room into the hallway where he was then shot by Frost from above through the stair bannisters at a distance of less than 1.4 metres, causing a catastrophic injury.
In police interviews, Frost told officers he had slipped and the shotgun had been discharged accidentally, but at court he admitted lying about this and claimed he had been terrified and acted in self-defence. Mr Batty stumbled out of the address and collapsed and his friends tried to pull him over the garden wall but then fled leaving him behind.
When officers attended the scene, they found the imitation pistol next to Mr Batty’s body which was later confirmed to be a ball bearing gun. The sawn-off shotgun Frost had used was found in the kitchen.
When officers searched the address they found an array of other weapons throughout the house, including an illegal high-powered air rifle, a samurai sword, machetes, knuckle dusters and incapacitant spray, which is classed as a prohibited weapon under firearms law.
They also found a sophisticated cannabis growing set-up on the top floor. Mr Batty’s accomplices had alerted his family members who attended the scene. His accomplices were later identified by police enquiries and arrested before being sentenced in May this year for their involvement.
Bromley & Kelly
Lewis Bromley, 26, of Darfield, Barnsley, and Dylan Kelly, 24, of Birdwell, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of an imitation firearm while committing burglary, and possession of an offensive weapon in relation to a pickaxe handle. Bromley was sentenced to a total of four years and six months in prison and Kelly to four years and four months.
Turner
Connor Turner, 29, of Darfield, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of an offensive weapon in relation to a pickaxe handle. He was found not guilty of possession of an imitation firearm while committing burglary. He was sentenced to a total of three years imprisonment.
Frost
Frost was initially charged over the sawn-off shotgun and cannabis production and was remanded in custody before later being charged with murder and other drug and weapons offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of the sawn-off shotgun, production of cannabis, supplying cannabis, possession of incapacitant spray and abstraction of electricity.
Temporary Detective Superintendent Matt Holdsworth, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Although Connor Batty was committing an aggravated burglary targeting Mr Frost’s cannabis growing set-up and illicit wealth and would have received a similar custodial sentence to his associates had he survived, he did not deserve to lose his life.
“Mr Frost made no attempt to contact the police when he retreated inside his home and chose to arm himself with a gun and lay in wait before using a level of force that was grossly disproportionate. This is not a case of an ordinary member of the public defending his home in the heat of the moment using force that is disproportionate. The law caters for these circumstances.
“He was a drug dealer who had an illegally held sawn-off shotgun and ammunition immediately to hand to defend his criminal enterprise. He used deadly force without justification, and it is right that he has been prosecuted and held responsible for killing Connor Batty.
“The jury has given full consideration to the circumstances and has found him guilty of murder. Connor’s family are innocent parties in this tragic situation, and our thoughts are with them as they continue to come to terms with their loss.”