Bunthawee Rimmer

Case record: Bunthawee Rimmer

Background

Bunthawee Rimmer was a Thai woman who lived at Castle Lane in Haverhill.

Rimmer moved into the home shared by Paul Norfolk and Paul Norfolk’s wife after Rimmer’s husband, Geoffrey Rimmer, died of natural causes in 2010. Mrs Norfolk was admitted to a care home in March 2011, and Rimmer remained in the Castle Lane house with Paul Norfolk.

Paul Norfolk changed his will to leave the property and other assets to Rimmer. The court heard that Mr Norfolk changed his will so that Rimmer would inherit his estate worth £340,000.

Rimmer denied murder of Paul Norfolk. She told a health worker that her injuries were self-inflicted and claimed that she had been in an abusive relationship with Paul Norfolk. When interviewed by psychiatrists, she said she had been suffering from depression and claimed to have no memory of the incident.

The offence

Paul Norfolk was killed in the early hours of the morning of 30 December.

After the attack, Paul Norfolk was found deceased in his bed at the Castle Lane home with Rimmer beside him.

Paul Norfolk suffered fatal head injuries consistent with at least 12 strikes from a hammer.

Rimmer had head injuries, was unconscious, and later was found to have been suffering from the effects of an overdose. A hammer, a selection of knives, and blister packs for medication were found in the bedroom.

Rimmer told those involved that Paul Norfolk had been planning to throw her out of his home; this claim was rejected.

At trial, the issue was whether Rimmer was suffering from a form of depression which impaired her mind at the time of the killing, reducing the charge of murder to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Investigation

A member of the public called police at around 10:05pm on Friday 30 December reporting concern for the welfare of a resident in Castle Lane. Police attended the property, failed to get a response, and forced entry.

The body of a man was discovered inside. A woman was also found inside with injuries. She was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital where she received treatment.

The formal identification of the man, aged in his 70s, had not yet taken place initially. A post mortem examination was due to ascertain the cause of death.

Police arrested a woman on suspicion of murder while she was in Addenbrooke’s Hospital and she was to be moved to a police investigation centre once released from hospital.

A post mortem examination established that Paul Norfolk died as a result of head injuries.

Rimmer later disclosed to a health worker that her injuries were self-inflicted and said she had been in an abusive relationship with Paul Norfolk. When interviewed by psychiatrists, she claimed to have been suffering from depression and said she had no memory of the incident.

Prosecutors told the court there was no dispute that Rimmer killed Paul Norfolk; the dispute concerned whether she was suffering from depression amounting to diminished responsibility.

Arrest

Rimmer was arrested after treatment for her injuries.

She was taken into police custody on 31 December.

On Tuesday 3 January 2012, Rimmer appeared in court after being charged.

Timeline

• 30 December 2011 — A member of the public called police at around 10:05pm reporting concern for a resident in Castle Lane; police forced entry; Paul Norfolk was found dead in his bed and Rimmer was found inside with injuries; Rimmer was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
• 31 December 2011 — Rimmer was arrested following release from hospital and taken into police custody.
• 1 January 2012 — Paul Norfolk was formally identified as Paul Norfolk, aged 77 years; a post mortem examination took place earlier that day and established death resulted from head injuries.
• 2 January 2012 — Ipswich Magistrates Court authorised a 36-hour extension of the custody time limit of the woman arrested on suspicion of murder on 31 December.
• 3 January 2012 — Suffolk Police charged Rimmer with the murder of Paul Norfolk; Rimmer appeared before Bury St Edmunds Magistrates Court.
• 16 March 2012 — Rimmer denied murdering Paul Norfolk at Ipswich Crown Court.
• 13 July 2012 — Rimmer was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 11 years.

Trial

Rimmer was tried at Ipswich Crown Court.

Rimmer denied murdering Paul Norfolk.

A pathologist told the court Paul Norfolk had probably been unconscious for at least 15 hours before he died.

The court heard that Rimmer made no comment to officers about the murder but disclosed to a health worker that her injuries were self-inflicted and that she claimed she had been in an abusive relationship with Paul Norfolk.

Rimmer told the court that she had loved Paul Norfolk and had no reason to kill him.

Rimmer said she had taken an overdose of tablets because she “didn’t want to live anymore.”

Rimmer told the court that before the alleged killing she had heard voices in her head saying “dead, dead, dead”.

Rimmer gave evidence that on the night of December 29 she had got into bed next to Paul Norfolk and he had embraced and kissed her. She said she got up to help him go to the toilet and then heard voices, made them both a cup of tea, “vaguely” remembered going downstairs to the kitchen, while Paul Norfolk went back to sleep, and picking up a hammer and three knives.

Rimmer was questioned by prosecution counsel Andrew Jackson QC.

Andrew Jackson QC asked: “You took the hammer and you began to hit his head with it?” Rimmer replied: “I picked up a piece of wood and started moving it up and down.”

Andrew Jackson QC asked if she accepted a hammer had caused the injuries to Paul Norfolk’s head. Rimmer replied: “I think so.”

Andrew Jackson QC asked whether she decided at that point to kill Paul Norfolk. Rimmer replied: “No. I was thinking of killing myself,”

The court heard that Rimmer had a sexual relationship with Paul Norfolk. Rimmer said she did not really want to but said she wanted to please him because she knew it would make him happy, and when he was angry he would grab my shoulders.

Rimmer said she was unaware of what had happened because of the pills she had taken when asked why she did not call an ambulance after Paul Norfolk was injured.

The jury found Rimmer guilty of murder by a majority verdict after deliberating.

The court heard that Rimmer had told psychiatrists she had been suffering from depression and had no memory of the incident.

A statement from legal executive Sarah Furlong was read to the court regarding amendment of Paul Norfolk’s will to exclude his wife Esme, who has dementia and was being cared for in a residential home. The will was changed in favour of Rimmer, allowing her to inherit the house and much of Paul Norfolk’s estate.

Care home manager Ann Curley said in a statement read to the court that Paul Norfolk had seemed resentful about having to pay £2,790 a month for his wife’s care, while Mrs Norfolk never seemed to resent the presence of Rimmer.

Ratchanok Kemp, described as a friend of Rimmer’s, gave evidence that Rimmer said she “couldn’t remember what happened,” and Kemp said Rimmer tried to swallow bathroom cleaner after “done a bad thing.”

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said: “The court has heard how Ms Rimmer took the life of a much-loved brother and godfather – sadly for the family and friends of Paul Norfolk, they were not able to hear why this happened from Rimmer herself.” (This statement was attributed in the record to Temporary Detective Superintendent Jes Fry of the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team.)

Temporary Detective Superintendent Jes Fry said:

“The court has heard how Ms Rimmer took the life of a much-loved brother and godfather – sadly for the family and friends of Paul Norfolk, they were not able to hear why this happened from Rimmer herself. Whilst the weapons and medication packets found in the bedroom tell part of the story, we may never know exactly what happened before Mr Norfolk’s death, though it would appear from his position that he was asleep when he was attacked. I would like to pass my sympathies to the family and friends of Paul Norfolk, and thank officers and staff for their hard work on this sad case.”

Sentencing

Rimmer was sentenced to life imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court.

She received a minimum tariff of 11 years.

The court heard Rimmer’s attack was a “wicked” thing to do, and the judge said Paul Norfolk lost his life in a brutal fashion at age 77.

Mr Justice John Saunders said:

“I do not lose sight of the fact that a decent man has lost his life in a brutal fashion at the age of 77.
‘Paul Norfolk was by all accounts a well liked, decent man. His death is a tragedy for his family, some of whom have given evidence and demonstrated admirable fairness and restraint in the way they did this.
‘No-one should lose their life in the way that Paul Norfolk did.
‘It was a wicked thing to do, as I am satisfied the defendant recognised and led to her trying to kill herself.’”

Mr Justice John Saunders also said:

“I am satisfied that the defendant's account that Paul Norfolk was saying that he was going to dispense with her services as a carer was untrue.
It is inconsistent with the rest of the evidence which was to the effect that Paul Norfolk was saying that he couldn't live without the defendant.
In the early hours of the morning of the 30th December the defendant armed herself with her hammer and struck Paul Norfolk at least twelve fierce blows with the hammer.
I will deal with the defendant on the basis that this was a determined attempt on her own life and she did cause herself significant injury.
I do not know why she killed Paul Norfolk. Thereafter in prison I am satisfied that her mental state, which was affected by depression, deteriorated further.”

Appeals

No appeal information was included in the provided material.

Outcome

Rimmer was found guilty of murder after a two week long trial. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 11 years.

Aftermath

After sentencing, Paul Norfolk’s family released a statement.

The statement said:

“Paul was the youngest of a family of four and had a happy childhood in the village of Ridgewell. We were a happy and united family. Paul was a popular and well liked member of the community.
"At eighteen years old, he joined the Tank Regiment and served in the army for three years. He was well-liked by his army friends and was still in touch with one of them at the time of his death.
"For thirty years he was employed at IFF in Haverhill. Upon marriage he settled into his house in Castle Lane, where he was still living at the time of his death.
"Paul was a very generous, kind and sympathetic man. He was liked and respected by everyone who knew him especially by his neighbours and their children by whom he was affectionately called 'Uncle'. He was always ready to help others.
"His brother and I (both in our eighties) are completely devastated by the wickedly cruel way in which our gentle, loving and much loved brother was taken from us. It was a blow from which we shall never recover. Our remaining years will be spent grieving for him, who brought joy and happiness into our lives and whom we shall always remember as our dearest Paul. With all our love, Peter and Pansy.”

Other details

Rimmer was also known as Pacer.

Rimmer had a son from a previous marriage.

The record included that Rimmer was born and brought up in Thailand and was orphaned at the age of seven when her parents were killed in a car crash.

Rimmer said she was married to Paul Norfolk’s best friend Geoffrey Rimmer and moved into Paul Norfolk’s Castle Lane home to care for his invalid wife Esme after Geoffrey Rimmer died.

The record included that Paul Norfolk worked for thirty years at IFF in Haverhill.

The record included that Paul Norfolk served in the army’s Tank Regiment for three years from the age of 18.

The record included mention of Rimmer drinking toilet cleaner, stabbing herself in the chest, slashing her own throat, and swallowing tablets after the attack.

Rimmer’s injuries included attempts at self-inflicted harm and the record included an overdose.

Rimmer had blister packs for medication found in the bedroom.

The court heard Rimmer asked a friend in prison for a massage while feeling tired, in pain and unhappy.