Paul Culshaw

Overview

Paul Culshaw (born 1969) was a British convicted murderer and sex offender. He was convicted in 2005 of murdering Clare Benson-Jowry, who died in 2004.

Timeline

• 1985 — Culshaw was jailed for three-and-a-half years for rape.
• 1988 — Culshaw was jailed for 10 years for attempted murder and indecent assault of a woman.
• 2004 — Clare Benson-Jowry died.
• 15 July 2004 — Clare Benson-Jowry’s near-naked remains were found in a flat at Austwick Road on the city’s Rylands estate.
• February 10, 2005 — Paul Culshaw was sentenced to life in prison.
• February 3, 2013 — Paul Culshaw died in prison.

Background

Culshaw had previous convictions for crimes including rape, attempted murder, and indecent assault. He had lived in Penrith with his wife and lived rough near the town while on the run. During the murder trial, the jury heard that Culshaw allowed drug users to frequent the flat, and that Clare Benson-Jowry had been a visitor and casual acquaintance.

The offence

The sexually-motivated killing of Clare Benson-Jowry occurred in Lancaster. She was last seen alive entering the block where Culshaw lived on Austwick Road, Lancaster. She was described as an attractive and well-liked young woman, with a drug addiction she had tried to overcome.

Several weeks after her disappearance, police found near-naked remains in a bedroom. Clare Benson-Jowry had been strangled with a shoelace tightened by a fork. After her body was discovered, she was described as having been strangled with a shoelace tightened by a fork.

At trial, Culshaw denied murdering Clare Benson-Jowry and claimed he panicked on finding her dead.

Investigation

Police searched for Clare Benson-Jowry after she disappeared. When her body was discovered, it was found near-naked in a bedroom, and evidence indicated she had been strangled with a shoelace tightened by a fork.

A jury was told that Clare Benson-Jowry was last seen alive entering the block where Culshaw lived on Austwick Road, Lancaster. She was later found in a flat at Austwick Road on the city’s Rylands estate.

Arrest

Culshaw was tried in February 2005 after being convicted for the killing of Clare Benson-Jowry.

Trial

In February 2005, a jury sitting at Preston Crown Court heard that Clare Benson-Jowry was last seen alive entering the block where Culshaw lived on Austwick Road, Lancaster. She was described as well-liked and attractive, and she had a drug addiction she had tried to overcome.

The jury heard that Culshaw allowed drug users to frequent the flat, and that Ms Benson-Jowry had been a visitor and casual acquaintance. She had been last seen alive in June 2004, calling at the block where he lived.

Culshaw was convicted of the sexually-motivated murder of Clare Benson-Jowry.

The judge at Preston Crown Court told Culshaw to prepare himself for life in prison. Mr Justice Hughes said:

“The overwhelming likelihood is that you killed her to stop her revealing the very serious sexual assault you carried out on her.”

Mr Justice Hughes also told Culshaw:

“It was a violent and determined decision to kill.
You are a person who is an enormous danger to other people and chiefly to women, and whose danger lies hidden most of the time.”

Another judge statement reported at sentencing included:

“Life must mean life.”

Another reported remark after the verdict was:

“You are a person who is an enormous danger to other people. Life in your case must mean life.”

Culshaw, who was described as of no fixed address, was convicted at Preston Crown Court in February 2005.

The trial also included information about Culshaw’s earlier offences and sexual assault history. The court heard that, as an 18-year-old, he raped a 43-year-old woman in her home at Up Holland. For that offence, he was given a 42-month sentence. The jury also heard that, in 1988, he was jailed for 10 years for the attempted murder and indecent assault of a Skelmersdale woman.

During the murder trial, the jury was told that Clare Sabear Benson-Jowry was 23 and that she had been strangled with a shoelace tightened by a fork. It was also stated that Culshaw was 37 at the time of the sentencing report.

Sentencing

On February 10, 2005, Paul Culshaw was sentenced to life in prison. After the verdict, the judge told Culshaw:

The judge’s reasoning included:

Appeals

No appeal information was included.

Outcome

Culshaw was convicted of murdering Clare Benson-Jowry, a sexually-motivated killing. The sentencing was life in prison, expressed by the judge as requiring that life must mean life and that life in his case must mean life.

On February 23, 2008, The Times reported that Culshaw was one of around 50 prisoners who had been issued with whole life tariffs and were unlikely ever to be released from prison.

Aftermath

On Tuesday (reported as February 5, 2013 for the hospital transfer timing), Paul Culshaw was found collapsed in his cell at Frankland Prison, Durham. He was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham. He died early Wednesday.

Police stated:

“We can confirm that Paul Culshaw was found collapsed in his cell.
“He was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, where he died later the same day.
“Police do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances.”

The Ministry of Justice stated:

“HMP Frankland prisoner Paul Culshaw was taken to an outside hospital at about 7pm on Tuesday February 5.
“He was pronounced dead at 3.40am on Wednesday.
"He is presumed to have died from natural causes. A post mortem will follow.
"As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation.”

Other details

Culshaw was described as a “shoelace strangler” and as the “shoelace killer.” He had been described as having lived in Skelmersdale before being jailed for the earlier attacks. He had been found guilty in February 2005 of murdering Clare Benson-Jowry, a young mother. It was reported that her near-naked remains were found in a flat at Austwick Road on the city’s Rylands estate on 15 July 2004, and that she had been strangled with a shoelace tightened by a fork.

The reported account described her as 23 years old at the time of the murder. It was also reported that she had died after being strangled with a shoelace tightened by a fork. The reports also included that Culshaw had denied murder, claiming he panicked on finding her dead.