Two brothers and their cousin sentenced for the killing of a fisherman in 2016

Three men have been sentenced for killing a man on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016.

• Shane Crawt, 19, of Old Lodge Lane, Purley, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 15 years before he can be considered for parole after being convicted of murder.
• Lenny Crawt, 18, of Down Street, West Molesey, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 15 years before he can be considered for parole after being convicted of murder.
• Charlie Smith, 24, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 13 years after being convicted of manslaughter. He will serve half his sentence and the remainder of the sentence on license.

The Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on Donkey Island on 27 July (2016) before fleeing and burning their clothes, they then boasted of their actions over the following weeks.

Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively, killed Scott just before 11.30pm that night on the island off the Thames.

Together they violently attacked Scott, punching, kicking and hitting him with a large piece of wood. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. They believed they had killed Scott, in fact he lay for hours before he died as a result of his injuries.

Scott was found in the water the day after the attack, four days after he initially arrived on the island for a fishing trip.

The trio were unanimously found guilty after a five week trial at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 8 March.

Detective Inspector Paddy Mayers, who led the investigation said: “The sentences given today reflect the severity of the ferocious actions the three took that night back in 2016.

“This was an incredibly complex investigation which relied heavily of circumstantial evidence. The murder weapon was never found, there were no forensics that tied them to the attack and there was little CCTV.

“Despite this we left no stone unturned and were able to put a strong case forward that proved the three are responsible for killing Scott.

“Throughout the investigation there were in excess of 1800 exhibits, thousands of hours’ worth of CCTV reviewed, four days of action (arrests and interviews) and more than 4000 addresses visited in house to house enquiries.

“Today and always our thoughts and sympathies remain with Scott’s family. I hope the sentences can begin to provide them with some closure for what happened knowing that those responsible are finally where they belong.”

In a statement from Scott’s family which was read out in court, they said: “How can we describe to you, the sheer 

scale of our grief, our loss, our pain.

“We exist, we function, and we go through life in a robotic state, hurting from deep within our soul, crying inside, and yearning for some solace, which never comes.

“We will never recover. We will never find peace in a world without Scott. We will never be the same again and we will never forgive those responsible. Rest in peace Scott. Son, brother, nephew, father, partner and friend.

“Gone fishing.”