Man jailed for life for murdering next door neighbour in 'barbaric and evil' attack using tins of Pokémon cards

‘Unremitting and merciless attack upon a neighbour’

As she sent Andrew Hague to begin a life sentence for the murder of 50-year-old Simon Wilkinson during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court this morning (Tuesday, May 9), Judge Sarah Wright described the attack as being ‘ferocious and brutal’.

“This was an unremitting and merciless attack upon a neighbour of yours where you took the decision during the savage assault to kill him,” Judge Wright told Hague.

Mr Wilkinson’s family were present in court to see Hague, aged 31, formerly of Fox Hill Road, Fox Hill, being brought to justice, and in a statement from Mr Wilkinson’s mother, Eileen, which was read to the court, she laid bare the heart-breaking impact his death continues to have on his loved ones, including his 18-year-old daughter who will ‘never get to share her future’ with her beloved dad.

She said: “I cannot describe the pain and heartbreak we feel, which is unbearable at times, caused by a barbaric, brutal and evil attack of violence.”

"Simon was loved by friends and family for his sense of humour, kindness and friendship,” continued Eileen, adding that as a result of Hague’s ‘evil’ actions she will ‘never get to see his [Simon’s] smile or laugh at one of his jokes ever again’.

Hague beat Mr Wilkinson to death in an unprovoked assault outside the flats they both lived in on Fox Hill Road, in Fox Hill, Sheffield, with numerous people witnessing the savage killing on the evening of Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

Prosecuting barrister, Laura Marshall, told the court that prior to carrying out the attack, Hague and Mr Wilkinson had been involved in a verbal altercation with each other, during which Mr Wilkinson reportedly called Hague a ‘nonce b*****d’.

Neighbours witnessed Hague inflict fatal blows upon Mr Wilkinson

In the run-up to the fatal attack, neighbours reported hearing Hague shouting at Mr Wilkinson, referring to the term reportedly used by Mr Wilkinson the previous day; and attempting to goad him into leaving his flat to join him outside, by shouting ‘come out here and fight me like a man’.

"What happened next can only be described as a sustained attack,” Ms Marshall said.

Horrified neighbours reported seeing Hague using a ‘bag for life’ containing what was subsequently determined to contain three tins ‘heavily filled’ with Pokémon cards to attack Mr Wilkinson with full force three to four times, with one witness observing that Hague struck Mr Wilkinson with the bag in a motion similar to that used by cricketers.

Judge Wright told Hague: “You launched a sustained and prolonged attack upon Simon Wilkinson, swinging the bag and hitting him in the face and head area with full force three to four times. Having briefly retreated, leaving your victim apparently unresponsive and covered in blood on the floor, you returned and launched a second violent attack upon him. You punched and stamped on his face, retreated again to arm yourself with a bat or piece of wood and struck him around the head several times with it despite the fact that he is described by witnesses as appearing lifeless.”

Hague then attempted to break Mr Wilkinson’s neck, the court heard.

Several neighbours who witnessed the prolonged attack made emergency calls to 999, and armed police and paramedics both arrived at the scene at 8.31pm. Mr Wilkinson was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, at around 8.35pm. A post-mortem examination showed Mr Wilkinson died as a result of head and facial injuries, from repeated severe blows.

Body-worn footage from police officers at the scene showed that Hague retreated to his ground-floor flat and proceeded to put several layers of clothing on as armed officers negotiated with him; and he subsequently agreed to be handcuffed and arrested, leaving his flat via a window.

Hague pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Wilkinson in a hearing held last month, following which Detective Inspector John Fitzgibbons, who led the investigation, said: “A number of people in the local area called police after witnessing this prolonged, brutal and unprovoked assault.”

He added: “What they saw, and indeed what the officers who first responded to this incident saw, was traumatic. A post-mortem examination found that Mr Wilkinson died as a result of head and facial injuries, from repeated severe blows. The help our officers received from the community was invaluable and Hague was brought into police custody a short time afterwards.”

‘You have shown little or indeed no remorse’

Defending, Andrew Vout KC, said Hague had mental health difficulties, which were summarised by Judge Wright as being a ‘psychotic illness, most likely schizophrenia and have a personality disorder’.

Judge Wright added: "Illicit drugs and alcohol have exacerbated your difficulties.”

“He’s made choices, but he’s made them through a distorted prism,” Mr Vout said, adding that, in short, forensic psychiatrists had assessed Hague to be ‘ill, but not ill enough’ to meet the standards required to use either diminished responsibility or insanity as a defence.

Mr Vout said that while he acknowledged that Hague used the bag filled with tins containing Pokémon cards, and his foot, as makeshift weapons, he had not taken them to the scene with that intention, stating: “They just happened to be there.”

Mr Vout described the lack of mental health provision available to Hague as being a ‘significant contributory factor’ in his life.

Judge Wright told Hague he must serve a minimum of 17 years behind bars, adding: “This case is a stark reminder of the dangers of cannabis use particularly with someone

with such a complex mental health history as yours.

"The offence is aggravated by the fact that the level of violence was high and prolonged and the killing was in public in front of those who knew the deceased. In addition you have shown little or indeed no remorse, there was planning and pre-meditation calling out the deceased to come and fight you.”

Judge Wright recommended that Hague was sent to high-security psychiatric hospital, Rampton Hospital, pursuant to sections 47 and 49 of the Mental Health Act 1983.