A 92-year-old British man convicted of the 1967 rape and murder of a woman in her home has been sentenced to life in prison.
Ryland Headley was found guilty by Bristol Crown Court in southern England of the rape and murder of Louisa Dunne, who was 75 years old when Headley killed her nearly six decades ago.
Headley was convicted on Monday and the verdict brought an end to a cold case that remained unsolved for 58 years. He was sentenced on Tuesday.
He was told during sentencing that he had committed a “pitiless and cruel act,” according to PA Media news agency.
The judge, Derek Sweeting, sentenced Headley to life in prison, setting a minimum term of 20 years.
“You broke into her home, you sexually assaulted her and in doing so, you caused her death,” Sweeting said, per PA Media.
“You may not have intended to kill, but you planned to rape her, and you brutally attacked her. When you did so, you met her screams and struggles in a force sufficient to kill. The nature of these offenses demonstrates a complete disregard for human life and dignity,” the judge added.
“Mrs Dunne was vulnerable. She was a small, elderly woman living alone. You exploited that vulnerability. You treated her as a means to an end. The violation of her home, her body, and ultimately, her life, was a pitiless and cruel act by a depraved man.”
The judge added that, given Headley’s age, he will “never be released” and will “die in prison.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/30/europe/british-man-guilty-rape-louisa-dunne-cold-case-intl-latam-gbr