Thug guilty of murdering grandfather after betting shop row

An antisocial thug has been found guilty of stabbing a grandfather in the back.
Court newsCourt news
Court news

Joseph Tripp, 35, was found guilty of murdering 54-year-old former electrician Derek MacAllister following an Old Bailey re-trial.

The court had heard that Tripp bought a large kitchen knife then attacked Mr MacAllister with it as he walked along the road in East Finchley, north London, on the afternoon of December 30 2015.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tripp knew Mr MacAllister and, only days earlier, had bought him a can of beer to celebrate his birthday, jurors were told.

But on the day of the killing, a row had erupted in a Coral betting shop in which Tripp picked up a chair and shouted at Mr MacAllister and his girlfriend.

As the couple walked away, Tripp went to a nearby shop and bought an 8in (20cm) carving knife for £4.99.

He then hid behind parked cars and pounced on the couple as they walked past.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The victim was stabbed with such force that the knife cut a bone in his spine, the court heard.

Mr MacAllister, who had celebrated his 54th birthday the day before the attack, died in hospital days later.

Upon his arrest at his Finchley home, Tripp told police he was the one who had been attacked at the bookies and claimed: "I'm the f****** victim."

However, CCTV footage of the stabbing, witnesses, and the victim's blood on Tripp's jeans pointed to him being the attacker, even though the knife was never recovered.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tripp's thumbprint was also found on the packaging of the knife which was discarded in a bin nearby, the court heard.

The defendant was assessed by multiple psychiatrists and psychologists and found to have an antisocial and mentally unstable personality disorder.

Tripp had sabotaged his first trial in 2017 by swallowing razors, soiling himself and refusing to answer questions about the killing.

He was found guilty by a jury of committing the act last June as he was not fit to continue with his trial.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A fresh jury convicted him of murder following a retrial, in which Tripp claimed he acted in self defence and did not mean really serious harm to the victim.

Tripp, who opted not to be in court to hear the verdict, will be sentenced on a later date.