Ipswich: Couple convicted of murdering Christopher Thompson in Chantry Park

Deanna Stanton, who was convicted of murder

Christopher Wilson, 33, and Deanna Stanton, 26, both of no fixed address, had denied murdering 35-year-old Christopher Thompson in Chantry Park on November 15 last year.

Christopher Thompson with relatives (Image: Archant)

Wilson was also found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He had denied the offence.

The pair were convicted after a trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

After today’s verdict Mr Thompson’s mother Elizabeth said: My son was much loved by his family, friends and all who knew him.

“Chrissy lived with me at our home near Chantry Park.

“He came from a loving family and my life revolved around him.

“I enjoyed caring for him and now he has been taken from us I feel lost and empty. This is a huge loss to all our family, he means everything to us and it feels as if our circle has been broken.

Chrissy adored his sisters as well as his nieces and nephews who he used to spoil with presents.

“He was always on hand for family and friends. He was like the family maintenance man He was very talented and he could fix anything from a dripping tap to renovating a whole house.

“Chrissy has had his own difficulties of late, but he was much loved and supported by all of his family.

“He was not a violent man. He was a kind-hearted son who cared about his family and others who were worse off than him. Chrissy would help anyone.

“Chrissy would have loved to have had a family of his own, but this opportunity was taken away from him and I do not have any grandchildren to help remember him by.

“We are in shock and cannot believe another human being could do this to Chrissy. It is absolutely senseless and the suffering he would have endured haunts us to this day.

“We will never recover from the loss of Chrissy and the pain this has caused our family will never leave us.”

The officer in charge to the case Detective Inspector Kevin Hayward said: “This has been a complex investigation with both defendants blaming each other for the death of Christopher Thompson.

“The attack on Mr Thompson was violent and unprovoked and the level of physical violence was extreme.

“We are pleased with today’s result and hope that the decision by the jury assists the family of Mr Thompson in coming to terms with their loss and provides some justice to them as they look to rebuild their lives.”