Dognapping killer who left victim decomposing inside duvet jailed for 19 years
A killer who left a dad’s decomposing body wrapped in a duvet before taking his beloved dog has been jailed.
Ian Connell was arrested after officers were called to the home of Donald Patience on August 22 last year. The 45-year-old’s remains were found at the bottom of the stairs at the Bury, Greater Manchester, property after being strangled at least a day before.
The suspect was spotted walking Mr Patience’s white labradoodle, Layla, near the scene before claiming he’d been asked to take care of her. Drug addict Connell denied murdering the Scots businessman during a trial at Manchester Crown Court, claiming he loved the victim ‘like a father’. But he was found guilty of murder by a jury.
Today (Wednesday, March 6), he was jailed for a minimum of 19 years after “shamelessly” taking advantage of his victim for money to buy drugs. The court was previously told how Mr Patience, who was known by his middle name Prentice, was born in Alness, near Invergordon in Scotland, before studying at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University.
Ian Connell has been jailed (MEN Media)
Layla the labradoodle was stolen (prentice.patience/Facebook)He found work carrying out statistical analysis for pensions but became unwell from the "high pressure job" and spent a short time in a Priory clinic. Mr Patience moved to Greater Manchester in around 2005 and set up a Domino's pizza restaurant franchise in Bury with one of his brothers, jurors were told, reports the Daily Record.
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In a statement read to the court, his ex-wife Kirsty Banks said she met him while working there and they married in 2012 and had three children. Ms Banks said 'Prent' had a car accident in 2015 which left him temporarily unable to work and he "started to drink more" and eventually became "addicted to painkillers".
Mr Patience later left the family home and moved into the couple's previous address in Ainsworth Road, which they had been renting out. Ms Banks said her ex-husband began "hanging around" with a "dodgy" former tenant who introduced Connell to him.
Giving evidence, Connell, from Bolton, said he had "never raised my hand to that man" and claimed he was asleep upstairs in a spare room and under the influence of heroin and crack cocaine when someone else strangled Mr Patience. He said he "panicked" after he said he eventually discovered the body and went on to tell lies to police at the scene and in his initial interview with detectives.
Connell claimed the pair "hit it off straight away" and he went on to call Mr Patience "boss" as he did odd jobs for him such as painting and decorating, taking Layla for walks, and cleaning the house. Connell said he had used heroin and crack cocaine from about the age of 19 and Mr Patience allowed him and others to use drugs at the house.
The jury heard Connell visited Mr Patience's home on the evening of August 19 and stayed in and around the address until police discovered the body. Following the unanimous verdict, Connell told trial judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen: "I know I'm not supposed to speak out of turn but I'm not guilty of this offence."
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