Richard Barraclough KC and Peter Alcock Acting in Murder Trial at Worcester Crown Court
April 10, 2026
Richard Barraclough KC, leading Peter Alcock acted for the prosecution in a murder trial at Worcester Crown Court, which concluded yesterday with the jury returning a guilty verdict.
The case concerned the death of Leon Pratt, aged 64, a vulnerable and disabled man whose body was found at his home in Shropshire after neighbours raised concerns that they had not seen him for some time. Emergency services attended the property in October 2024, where Mr Pratt was discovered deceased, wrapped in bedding on a bed.
The defendant, Jason Trundle, 52, had been living with Mr Pratt and acting as his unofficial carer after the two met online. Mr Pratt suffered from significant health issues and required day to day assistance. Mr Trundle had been unemployed and homeless before moving into the property.
Opening the case for the Crown, Richard Barraclough KC told the jury that paramedics attending the address immediately noticed an overwhelming smell consistent with decomposition. The defendant informed them that Mr Pratt had been dead for approximately 12 days, having made no attempt to summon medical assistance or report the death.
The prosecution case was that Mr Pratt did not die of natural causes. A post mortem examination revealed multiple rib fractures and severe injuries to the neck, including seven fractures, which the Crown submitted were most likely the result of manual strangulation. Mr Barraclough KC told the jury that such injuries would have required considerable force and were wholly inconsistent with accidental or natural death.
Although the defendant had admitted manslaughter, as well as offences of fraud by false representation and preventing a lawful burial, the Crown did not accept those pleas and maintained that the evidence demonstrated an intentional act causing serious harm.
On 9 April, following the conclusion of evidence and legal submissions, the jury returned a guilty verdict.
The defendant, was sentenced today to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years.
