A chef knifed his friend 100 times in a savage, perverse, perverted and terrifying killing. The chef then celebrated by going to the cinema to view horror film The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Him Do It’.
Lewis Ashdown (20) arranged to have a drink with Marc Williams (18-18) and then lured him to remote woodland.
He got him drunk with large amounts of coke and whisky. As the teenager was getting sick, Ashdown launched his merciless’ and ‘frenzied’ attack.
In a brutal attack that lasted nearly 40 minutes, he stabbed his face 107 times, wentuged out his eyes, and cut his genitals.
Ashdown recorded seven videos using his phone. He slapped his friend in the face with a tree branch, beat him, and kicked him in the head “like a football”.
He went home and spoke ‘normally to his mother.’ The next day, he went to the cinema with another friend to see The Conjuring horror film.
The film, which is the third in a series of horror films, depicts a killer who brutally stabs someone to death while allegedly being in demon possession.
After pleading guilty for murder and possession with an offensive weapon, Ashdown was sent to the dock today, where he was emotionless.
Lewis Ashdown has pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court for the murder Marc Williams
Police located Mr Williams, who was killed by multiple stab wounds in the woods.
Lewes Crown Court heard Marc Williams had met Ashdown online six years before his death.
The pair, who lived in Uckfield East Sussex, became friends and would often meet up for night out.
The couple arranged to meet for drinks on May 29th after they sent each other a text message. Mr Williams bought beer and whisky in preparation.
Ashdown was shocked to discover that Ashdown’s younger brother had also gone along. Williams told Ashdown that Williams did not feel comfortable with this and did not come up.
Instead Ashdown contacted him much later, when Mr Williams was back home, and arranged to meet him at Fairwarp Field, Uckfield.
He encouraged him to drink large amounts of whisky and coke, telling him that it was just coke.
Mr Williams, who lived in the home of his aunt and grandma became paralytically drunk quickly and began to vomit.
He begged his friend to help him, saying: ‘Help! Can you send an ambulance to me? I believe I am dying.
After murdering Mr Williams, Lewis Ashdown went to see The Conjuring 3 to celebrate
Emma, his aunt, was called by Ashdown at 11.30pm to tell them he was on the way home. She could hear Ashdown whispering in the background: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll make sure that he gets home safely.”
The court heard that Ashdown, who had just stabbed his friend in the back, launched a’sadistic grusome and horrifying attack’ on his friend minutes later.
The court heard Ashdown then proceeded to stab 7-year-old Mr Williams 107 times in his face, eyes and neck.
He pulled down his pants and trousers, and drained his body into a stream before returning to his home.
Both men were reported missing in the beginning. Ashdown was ruled out, and a search began for Mr Williams. Friends and family joined police and dogs to hunt for the teenager.
Ashdown and a friend met up the next day to go to the cinema to see The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do it before going to football.
He met his friend Liam Hanson again the day after and they got drunk on Jack Daniels, before Ashdown made a shocking confession.
Ashdown said to him that he had killed the teenager as he was ‘annoying’ him.
He said that he had a knife with him. I wasn’t sure if I should do it but it felt right in that moment and I just wanted it to happen.
According to Mr Hanson, he told police that he felt good about Marc’s actions and that Marc had deserved his death. He had thought about killing Marc and wanted to do so. It was horrible. He said that he was glad he did it.
Ashdown laughed when he showed Ashdown the seven horrendous videos of the murder he had captured on his phone.
Marc was ripped out of his eyes by him, it was psychotic stuff. I was in shock. It was amazing how he did it. I wanted to run and tell someone.
Later that night, Ashdown was taken into custody by police and interrogated by police. He denied knowing what had happened his friend.
Marc’s mother Lena Williams said that she felt like “pieces of my very being were being stripped away” when she was told about her son’s brutal death.
She stated that she could not believe the ‘heartbreak, horror, and pain caused by a ‘evil’ crime.
She said, ‘Marc was taken from his life, future and dignity. He had always wanted a friend. He wanted someone who could laugh, joke, and have fun with him.
She shared that her son was a difficult person to make friends as a child.
Mrs Williams claimed these qualities were exploited by a vicious, chill killer’ and left her trying to explain his brutal murder to his sisters and brothers.
In a statement read out to court, Ian Williams said that his father was an evil creature and could do such things to another person. To stab him so often, then go home and return to work as if nothing ever happened. All these actions make you physically sick.
Emma Williams, his aunt said that she will remember her nephew for his sense of humor and caring personality. But she added that Ashdown’s voice will haunt her forever.
Lewis Power QC, the defense, stated that nothing could explain the ‘horrific and vile murder’.
He stated that the injures were chilling, frightening and shocking, and that the ferocity and violence of the acts was simply jaw-dropping.
“He went to see The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do it which is macabre, bloodcurling, and violent in its nature.
Judge Christine Laing sentenced him to a minimum of 27-year imprisonment. She stated that this was one of the most brutal, sustained, and merciless murders ever committed and was the worst case this court had ever dealt with.
She denied that Ashdown had slammed the teenager for making homosexual advances towards her and claimed that he killed his friend for “some perverted reason of their own.”
She said that the teenager was a valuable member in society who wanted to live an ‘interested and service-oriented life’. His family felt ‘immeasurable’ pain.