Aldi stabbing: Man jailed for life for murdering mother Jodie Willsher days before Christmas
Neville Hord launched 'public execution' because he blamed victim for the breakdown of his relationship with her mother
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A man who stabbed a woman to death in front of Christmas shoppers in Aldi has been jailed for life.
Neville Hord will serve a minimum of 30 years in prison for murdering Jodie Willsher as she worked in the busy supermarket.
He admitted launching the brutal attack on 21 December, which was witnessed by staff and customers including a young child.
Members of the public pinned Hord down after what prosecutors called a “cold-blooded public execution”, launched because he blamed Ms Willsher for the breakdown of his relationship with her mother.
Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC called the 44-year-old, of Great Horton Road in Bradford, a “monster”.
Describing him as “truly and horribly rotten to the core”, he told Bradford Crown Court: “You sentenced her, in your mind, to death…you chose a time and a place to, in effect, execute; to kill; to murder.”
Judge Hall said the killing was calculated to cause the “maximum pain, horror, shock and trauma” on a Saturday afternoon in Skipton, North Yorkshire.
Ms Willsher, 30, was married with a four-year-old daughter and her family said their lives had been torn apart.
Her husband, Malcolm, said his wife and child had an “unbreakable bond” and young Megan has told him: “I hate you daddy for not bringing mummy back.”
In a statement read to the court, Mr Willsher described how Megan had been looking forward to opening her Christmas presents with her mother and the family had a trip to Disneyland planned on Boxing Day.
“I'm so scared he'll get out and do something to Megan,” he added.
But Judge Hall said the life sentence laid the father’s fears to rest, telling Hord: "The high probability is that you will never be released from prison."
Euan Hilton, Ms Willsher’s uncle, said the family was still trying to understand why she was killed.
“Our beautiful girl has gone to heaven without mercy or hesitation,” he said in a statement on behalf of the family.
“We will never come to terms with her death and our hearts will never heal from the sadness we feel. All we can do is try and rebuild our lives and stay strong for all our family, including Malcolm and Megan.”
He murdered Mrs Willsher weeks after her mother, Nicole Dinsdale, told police that Hord had attacked her.
Hord had been in a relationship with Ms Dinsdale but the relationship broke down and he blamed their break-up on her daughter.
A further charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Ms Willsher’s mother in the November attack was left to lie on file
The police investigation revealed that Hord had placed a tracking device on Ms Willsher’s car, researched his attack extensively on the internet and had equipped himself with a knife, axe and crossbow, as well as making enquiries about acquiring a gun.
Thomas Neofytou, a senior crown prosecutor from Yorkshire, said Hord stabbed his victim repeatedly in the chest and stomach in the “premeditated and frenzied attack” on Jodie Willsher, stabbing her repeatedly with a knife in the chest and stomach.
“This was a cold-blooded and public execution, carried out for the purpose of revenge,” he added.
“Supermarket staff and customers bravely immobilised Hord, who was carrying an axe concealed in his jacket, until police arrived.
“I hope today’s sentence is of some comfort to Jodie’s family and friends. Our thoughts remain with them.”
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Mark Pearson, of the North Yorkshire major investigation team, said Hord’s actions also traumatised members of the public and Ms Willsher’s colleagues.
“His terrible actions have devastated a family, leaving a mother without a daughter, a husband without a wife and a young girl without her mother - no sentence could ever compensate for their loss,” he added.
“I pay tribute to the people who have assisted the police investigation by providing witness statements, and especially those who bravely went to Jodie’s aide in an attempt to stop the attack and save Jodie’s life.”
Ms Willsher was remembered as a “fun-loving, caring person” by friends and loved ones.
Well-wishers piled flowers leaving flowers at a police cordon following the murder, with one card reading: ”Jodie, no words can explain how much you are going to be missed. You were truly one in a million.“
Kelly Blagden, a former school friend of Ms Willsher, said she worked at Aldi since it opened two years ago.
"She's a lovely girl, she was so in love [with her husband],” she added in December. “They were just the perfect relationship, they were so in love with each other and I just can't believe it.”
Andy Rankine, the mayor of Skipton, told how the close-knit community was plunged into grief and shock, with many residents getting to know Ms Willsher from visiting Aldi.
In a statement released through lawyers, Hord’s relative said words “cannot convey their sorrow” over her family’s loss during the festive period.
"Neville's family wish to express our sincere condolences to Jodie's family at what should have been a time of joy and happiness for them,” it added.
"No words can convey our sorrow for this tragic turn of events. We are trying to understand what led Neville to this action but cannot condone what he has done. It has affected both families very deeply."
Additional reporting by PA