Ipswich: Men Guilty of Christmas Murder

Two men have been found guilty of murdering a man in his flat in Ipswich on Christmas day.

Police had been contacted shortly after 11:30am on Saturday 25 December following reports of a man’s body inside a flat on Old Foundry Road.

Officers arrived and found the body of 45-year-old man. A post-mortem examination result showed that he died from multiple injuries.

Four people from the town were arrested in connection with the murder later on the same day and subsequently charged.

Hugh Heggarty, a 51-year-old unemployed man from Limerick Close was charged with one count of murder on Tuesday 28 December, as were 37-year-old unemployed Christopher Page of no fixed address and 28-year-old unemployed Timothy Bailey also of no fixed address.

Nicki Edwards, a 36-year-old unemployed woman from St Clements Church Lane was charged with one count of murder on Thursday 12 May.

On 20 October Hugh Heggarty and Timothy Bailey were found guilty of murder. They have been remanded in court custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

Christopher Page and Nicki Edwards were found not guilty.

Senior Investigating Officer, DI Andy Smith of the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, said:

"Martin Edwards was a vulnerable member of society. In the days and weeks leading up to his death he had been bullied and physically abused. The injuries that caused Martin’s death were extensive and demonstrate that he was subject to a horrific and prolonged assault. The callous way in which Martin was left for dead or dying in his flat whilst his killers continued to celebrate Christmas is quite honestly beyond comprehension.

“Martin’s death was the second in the street drinking community of Ipswich in a short space of time over the New Year period and we want to reassure members of the public that work is ongoing within this community. A multi agency approach has been implemented to help reduce anti-social behaviour and provide advice, guidance and support to those that seek to enhance their quality of life.

“Suffolk Police takes pride in keeping people safe and serving all of our communities in a fair and respectful way that builds trust and confidence. Part of doing this is ensuring that where an offence occurs it is dealt with appropriately.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Prosecution and the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team for their efforts during this investigation. We can only hope that today's verdict will provide some satisfaction and closure to Martin’s family. Our thoughts and sympathies remain with them at this time."