The callous killer, 33, who beat a retiree to death while unpacking groceries at his home, faces life in prison after being convicted of murder.
- Jay Gallier, 33, attacked Barry Johnson after he was returning from a shopping trip.
A killer who bludgeoned a retiree to death while unpacking groceries at his Black Country home now faces life behind bars after being convicted of her murder.
Jay Gallier, 33, viciously attacked ‘quiet’ Barry Johnson after he returned home from a shopping trip.
The 67-year-old’s body was discovered on the floor of his Brierley Hill apartment when a loved one dropped by to check on him.
An autopsy revealed that he died after Gallier struck him in the head and neck.
Gallier now faces life in prison for the brutal attack, after jurors at Wolverhampton Crown Court found him guilty of murder.
Jay Gallier, 33, viciously attacked ‘quiet’ Barry Johnson after he returned home from a shopping trip
The murderer, who has been photographed for the first time today, will discover his fate when he is sentenced on April 27.
Gallier, of Salop Street, Dudley, has denied murdering Johnson between 23 and 25 August 2021.
The murder trial listened as the killer, who used part of his cash proceeds to buy heroin and cannabis, surrounded the apartment block where Mr. Johnson lived, trying several times to get inside.
After entering Dean Court, on The Promenade, he went to Mr. Johnson’s flat. Investigations into the victim’s final movements revealed that he had been shopping for groceries.
He was attacked just yards from his front door after Gallier interrupted him while he was unpacking.
Detectives later discovered a pair of women’s blue velvet slippers in the apartment hallway, which was unusual since Mr. Johnson lived alone.
Gallier was convicted of murder by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court today (pictured)
The footage showed Gallier removing slippers from the lobby area before going to Johnson’s apartment. A cigarette butt with Gallier’s DNA was found near the victim’s head.
Bloodstained trousers covered in Mr Johnson’s blood were also seized from Gallier’s home, West Midlands Police said.
Prosecutor Kevin Heggarty KC told jurors that Gallier entered the apartment block “a bit wobbly” before the gruesome murder.
Mr. Johnson suffered a series of “blunt force” injuries, including a part of his lip that was dislodged from the inside of his mouth.
The victim also had a broken nose, with a ‘pool of blood’ discovered on the carpet when her body was found.
The victim lay bleeding on the floor for “quite some time” before her body was moved, indicated by “stain” marks found on the floor, Heggarty added.
Detective Sergeant Neal Hudson, who led the murder investigation, said: “This was a heartbreaking case involving a violent and unnecessary assault on an elderly man in his own home.”
Only Gallier knows why he attacked Mr Johnson that day and to date he has shown no remorse for his actions or offered any explanation for what he did.
“This conviction means that a violent individual has been taken off the streets and we can only hope that Mr. Johnson’s family can find some solace in the justice that has been done.”