Man who boasted about killing a sex offender sentenced to life in prison
A self-proclaimed ‘nonce killer’ who murdered a convicted sex offender has been jailed for life.
Anthony Gardiner, 66, of Stroud, Gloucestershire, went to the home of John Coxon, 76, in the nearby town of Stonehouse and violently assaulted him in January 2022.
Coxon, who was described as frail, died in hospital two months later from kidney failure caused by complications from the head injury inflicted by Gardiner.
The 76-year-old had been previously convicted of downloading indecent images of children and placed on a sex offenders list.
On one occasion, he breached that order by having contact with a child who was known to Gardiner as he passed his home, although there is no evidence that the contact was of a sexual nature.
Gardiner pleaded guilty to Coxon’s murder in December 2024 after telling police he had given him ‘a beating’ and was glad he had died.
Judge Martin Picton jailed Gardiner, who chose to represent himself in court, for life and ordered him to spend a minimum of 20 years in prison.
Gardiner said he had given his victim ‘a beating’ and was ‘glad he had had’ (Picture: PA)
Bristol Crown Court heard Gardiner had a history of violent offending and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for the robbery of a disabled man in May 2022.
A year before the murder, the court heard how Coxon, who had Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, went to his bank accompanied by Gardiner and asked to withdraw up to £500 to give to him as a reward for finding his lost wallet.
Bank staff became suspicious and reported the incident to police, meaning no money was paid to Gardiner.
‘You believed Mr Coxon owed you a financial debt of gratitude,’ the judge said.
‘You knew of John Coxon’s past concerning indecent images. You were aware he had got into trouble by contact with the child.’
On the day of the assault, Gardiner told friends and family he had walked to Coxon’s home and given him ‘a beating’, stamping on his face and expressing an intention to do so again in future.
The victim was found by his carer at about 12pm on January 12, having suffered serious head injuries. He later developed pneumonia and sepsis, which led to fatal kidney failure, and he died on March 25.
Gardiner, 66, has a history of violent behaviour and was jailed for 20 years (Picture: PA Wire)
Following his arrest, Gardiner’s trainers were seized and found to have Coxon’s blood on them.
He later confessed the crime to police officers, carved: ‘I am a nonce killer’ into his dinner plate, and was noted to keep a newspaper article about Coxon’s death in his cell.
The court heard Gardiner also falsely claimed the child Coxon had spoken to later took their own life.
Judge Picton told the defendant: ‘You carried out a brutal attack on a frail and vulnerable man in his own home. You left him lying on the floor with serious injuries.
‘You appear to celebrate the fact that you killed another human being. You are a highly dangerous man.’
Mary Cowe, prosecuting, described how Gardiner had treated Coxon’s death ‘as a joke’ and ‘laughed’ when talking to family members about it.
She summarised a victim personal statement from Coxon’s brother, which said he had ‘done good things in his life’ including caring for elderly relatives.
‘He says he is really sad to hear how his brother had been tormented in his own home,” Ms Cowe said.
‘He says no-one should be subjected to that.’
The court heard Gardiner had a history of violent offending, including slashing the neck of a former partner, and attacking a homeless man he wrongly accused of being a paedophile.
Gardiner, representing himself, told the judge: ‘That Mr Coxon had 474 images of children on his computer. I’m glad he is dead.’
He later said: ‘I am coming up to my 67th birthday. The only thing I have is my partner. She hasn’t got no-one now.’
Following the case, Detective Inspector Adam Stacey of Gloucestershire Police said Gardiner had ‘exploited’ Coxon before attacking him.
‘He has now admitted his actions and has been sentenced for them, and he will spend a lengthy amount of time behind bars,’ he said.
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