Christopher Wright, 73, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 35 years for murdering his worker Richard Dyson and hiding his dismembered body in a cement barrel.
Wright shot the 55 year old in the hand and chest following an intense argument at his estate in Hoyland near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in 2019, according to the Daily Mail.
The farmer, who collected old firearms, suspected Dyson was stealing his weapons to resell. He spent the days after the shooting dismembering the body before placing the parts into a barrel filled with cement.
Wright, a former butcher and onetime member of a Spandau Ballet tribute band, then moved the barrel onto a trailer and persuaded an unsuspecting neighbour to store it.
Dyson lived on the estate and occasionally worked for Wright, who was the last person to see him alive.
Police investigation and trial
Dyson's family grew concerned, and an initial police investigation failed to find him. His daughter had to report him missing a second time after the first case was closed.
Authorities eventually found the barrel on the trailer last year, identifying Dyson's skeleton through DNA on July 14, 2025.
Wright was convicted of murder, preventing a lawful burial and firearms offences. Peter Moulson KC, prosecuting, told the court the dismemberment required anatomical or butchery knowledge, noting Wright's previous employment as a butcher and his motive regarding the antique firearms.
The judge handed Wright a 35 year minimum term, minus time spent on remand, noting he is likely to die in prison. The judge told Wright his background as a butcher gave him the skills to commit a gruesome act that few ordinary people would have the stomach for.
Daughter's six year nightmare
Bethany Dainty, who was 19 when her father disappeared, said he was her best friend who provided needed guidance, support, love and protection. She reported him missing after he failed to answer his phone, noting he never left it on silent. They had spoken daily and saw each other every weekend.
Dainty said she knew he would never abandon her or his housemates, and described the six years before the discovery as a living nightmare. She said she could neither grieve nor move on while wondering if her father was cold, hurt or dead, and that the lack of truth destroyed her life and changed her forever.
She said her life stood still while others moved on, and the pain took over until she no longer recognised herself. The cruelty of someone knowing the truth and watching her search for years haunted her, she added.
Dainty said the murder robbed her family of time they could never get back. She said she received the answer she had feared from the beginning, and that instead of introducing her new baby to her father in person, she had to visit him at a cemetery. She said she will carry the grief for the rest of her life.
