Doncaster man guilty of murdering mum's lover

Jason Thaxter, aged 39, was convicted of murdering Tommy Groome, his mother’s long-term partner, to steal his fortune after he received a 150,000 euro compensation payout.

Detectives claim Thaxter and his mum, June Buttle, killed 54-year-old Mr Groome and chopped up his body in January 2010, when he disappeared.

He is believed to have been dismembered and burnt on a bonfire.

Buttle is serving a 16-year sentence behind bars after pleading guilty to manslaughter last year.

Thaxter's ex-partner told Sheffield Crown Court that he had confessed to murdering Mr Groome with his mum.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Langan said: “Thaxter and his mother, June Buttle, killed Tommy Groome sometime in early January 2010.

“His body has sadly never been found and Thaxter and Buttle sought to get away with their crime by weaving a tangled web of lies and deception to cover up his death.

“The CPS was able to call two witnesses who told the court that June Buttle had confessed to killing Tommy Groome. She told one witness in some detail how she and her son had dismembered his body and disposed of it on a bonfire.

“Their motive was a combination of greed after Mr Groome had been awarded a substantial sum of compensation and revenge for the violence which had been a prominent feature of their relationship.

“Six years after his death, justice has been done and today’s verdict means that both of Tommy Groome’s killers are now facing considerable sentences for their crimes.”

Opening the case at the start of the trial, Dafydd Enoch QC, prosecuting, said that Mr Groome and Buttle had planned to emigrate to Portugal to open a bar with his windfall, but Buttle was not keen.

Buttle and her son then came up with a plan to kill Mr Groome and pretend he had gone abroad alone.

The court heard Mr Groome and Buttle were together for 10 years and had a ‘very stormy and at times violent’ relationship.

Until Mr Groome got his compensation payout, Buttle worked as a prostitute.

The court heard Thaxter 'hated' his mother's partner.

He is to be sentenced on Monday.