Christopher Allbury Burridge (33), was shot to death at Northampton’s home on Friday
Four burglars were sentenced for stabbing a care worker and raiding his house in search of cannabis.
Christopher Allbury Burridge, 33 years old, was killed by a single stabbing wound in his chest. The attack occurred when three men burst into his Northampton house at 3 AM on December 11.
Shortly after 2.10am, Mr Allbury Burridge died from a heart attack on the kitchen floor of his Kingsley property, Raeburn Road.
Four thugs had stormed the house in an attempt to steal a small amount of cannabis that he had been growing, Northampton Crown Court was told.
After a night of socialising, Mr Allbury Burridge was in his livingroom and was looking for charity workers. He ran to his kitchen to confront them when he was attacked.
Jordan Parker was 25 years old, Calum Farquhar (24), and Rakeem Leeandre were both previously found guilty for murder. Joel Cyrus was 26.
The four men were found guilty of conspiring to rob marijuana plants. They were sentenced Monday at Northampton Crown Court.
Parker was from Walthamstow (east London) and sentenced to life imprisonment for a term minimum of 26 year.
Also, the judge gave him 15 years in prison for conspiracy to rob as well as 22 months imprisonment after he admitted that he had an offensive weapon related to his knife.
Farquhar of Leyton in east London was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve at minimum 26 years, 17 years, and 6 months for conspiracy and possessing an offensive weapon. He will also be eligible to run simultaneously.
Leandre from Norwich was also sentenced with a minimum of 26 years imprisonment for murder. A further 17 year and six month term was given for the same offenses as Farquhar.
Cyrus of Leyton was sentenced to 14 years in prison for manslaughter, and to 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy to rob.
Calum Farquhar (right) and Jordan Parker (left) were found guilty in the case of murder.
Rakeem Leeandre (left) was sentenced for life, with a minimum of 26 years imprisonment for murder. A further 17 year and six month term was imposed for the same offenses that Farquhar. Joel Cyrus (right) was given 14 years probation for manslaughter.
Adrienne Lucking, the judge sentenced Adrienne Lucking stated that the severity of the offense was particularly severe because it involved murder to gain.
“The most aggravating fact is that it was part of a planned burglary. This clearly posed a risk of severe violence.
Elaine Smith, mother of Mr Allbury Burridge, made an emotional plea to the British government to do more to combat knife and drug crime.
She explained that Christopher was not required to die in such a horrific way for being caught up in illegal activities.
Pictured: Christopher Allbury-Burridge
This trial is about lost lives: Christopher’s and those of his attackers. It also involves all the grieving families who were involved in the tragedy.
“We are calling on the government to give more support to young people who want to avoid the drug trade and help with knife crime.
“How many more young people will be ruined by drug and criminal activity before there are tougher policies to prevent this tsunami of destruction?”
“I prefer to visit my son in prison for a few decades than grieve his terrible loss.
“These men won’t understand the loss and pain they caused Christopher’s loved ones by their actions on that night.
“We have not only lost Chris our love, but also our future together.”
“We will no longer have Happy Birthdays, Christmases or the opportunity to see him happy with his partner and family.
Chris will remain in our nightmares, dreams, and hopes for the rest of their lives.
“That is their legacy.”
According to the trial, Christopher and his friends traveled from London by two cars after making numerous reconnaissance trips.
Parker approached the house with a group of people and began breaking in through the back door. He broke the glass and tried to climb inside while holding a large knife.
Christopher heard the noise and ran to investigate before being brutally attacked.
The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), cameras that captured the movements of his murderers were discovered by detectives.
Northamptonshire Police tracked the movements of the men as they traveled up the M1 between London and Christopher’s house, then back down again.
Northamptonshire Police said that more than 50 detectives are working on this investigation
Parker, Farquhar, and Cyrus were detained in London on December 15, while Leandre was taken into custody in Norwich, Connecticut, December 18th.
Parker claimed that he accidentally stabbed Mr Allbury Burridge in court, but the jury denied this claim.
Northamptonshire Police Detective Chief Inspector Joe Banfield said that after the funeral, his thoughts were with Christopher’s loved ones. He added: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Christopher’s family. They have suffered the terrible pain of Christopher’s death, and we will continue to seek justice with dignity and strength for him.
Christopher was a loved, family-oriented, man.
“But, I do hope that knowing the names of those responsible for his death will be kept in prison so they can provide some comfort to his family.
“Today’s results show that crimes of this nature can be taken seriously. These four men targeted Christopher’s house in order to perpetrate the perfect crime. This could not have been reported.
“They used force to gain their own benefit, but they were careless in what they did. Tragically Christopher was forced to pay the price.”
“Now they will spend a large proportion of their time in jail. Here I hope they think about and repent for what they did.
“My last words of gratitude are to the investigation team for their tireless efforts in tracing the defendants and identifying them. This allowed us to prove Christopher’s guilt and ensure justice for his family.
Pictured is a police cordon at Raeburn Road in Kingsley where Christopher Allbury Burridge died from stab wounds near his house.
Christopher’s career began as a Northampton’s St Andrew’s carer. This hospital provides mental healthcare services.
His cousin was in Ethiopia and he spent three years teaching English in Addis Ababa.
He returned to England and worked at St Andrew’s again before accepting a position with an organization that supported vulnerable persons to independent living.
Russell, his father added that a custodial sentence cannot ever express the pain and heartache we feel. Chris’ death was the result of greed and a knife-carrying society.
He is loved and missed by us. We will keep him in our thoughts and hearts, but he won’t be there physically.
His aunt Nicola shared that they knew very little about Christopher’s cannabis growing and would like to discuss the potential dangers.
‘Christopher was naïve to the risks of the very dark underworld that surrounds it all, the money and risk of robbery that it brings.
We want others to understand that the message we are trying to convey is not to be involved but to learn from history.
“To die for growing cannabis is an awful tragedy.”