Television satellite engineer Trevor Gibbon jailed for life with minimum recommendation he serves at least 28 years. Image: Met Police
Old Bailey Judge Timothy Pontious has imposed a minimum recommendation of 28 years for the life sentence on Trevor Gibbon who stabbed to death Alison Morrison after a four-year neighbour dispute.
Judge Pontious said Gibbon had murdered her with ‘truly horrifying savagery’ and carried out a ‘merciless and deliberate attack of vengeance.’
48 year old Gibbon from Windsor Crescent, Harrow stabbed Mrs Morrison 40 times on 18th December last year.
Judge Pontious said:
This was not a frenzied loss of control on the defendant’s part but a merciless act of vengeance indubitably with the intent to kill Alison Morrison in the forefront of his mind.
This brutal murder robbed a close-knit family of a devoted and caring wife, mother, sister and aunt.
A woman the victim impact statements make movingly clear with a zest for life and enthusiasm for her responsible and stimulating job.
As a result her family have been left devastated and the devastating effects on the relationship between her husband and her son may take a very long time to repair.
Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens, Harrow Borough Commander, said of Alison – who volunteered as Vice Chair of Harrow’s Safer Neighbourhood Board:
Nothing can bring back Alison Morrison or make up for her loss, but the man responsible for her death has been brought to justice.
My thoughts are with Alison’s family and I hope that this, in some way, will help them as they continue to come to terms with the consequences of Gibbon’s actions.
The nine day trial heard that Alison and her family moved next door to Gibbon in 2011.
Gibbon appears to have clashed with them almost immediately.
He complained about the noise from their son’s skateboard and, despite the Morrisons’ attempts to placate him, nothing seemed to satisfy him.
He went on to harass and threaten Mrs Morrison by trapping her in her car, banging dustbin lids loudly at 6 am below her window and repeatedly flashing his car lights.
This campaign of harassment undermined Alison and her husband’s health.
Police and the local authority became involved and in March 2014 and Gibbon was presented with an acceptable behaviour contract, which he refused to sign.
The following month he was issued a prevention of harassment letter.
The family thought the neighbour dispute may have reached a conclusion when on 17th December 2014 Gibbon finally pleaded guilty at magistrates’ court to harassment.
This followed an incident with Mr Morrison in Alexandra Avenue two months earlier on 17th October.
He was issued with a restraining order to prevent him interfering further with the Morrison family.
However, the next morning Gibbon armed himself with two knives and went again to Alexandra Avenue, a route Alison took to work.
It was there, at around 7.45 in the morning, he repeatedly stabbed Alison in a frenzied attack, before fleeing the scene in his car.
As she was attended to by shocked local residents, Alison was able to name Gibbon as her attacker.
She was taken to hospital but died due to the stab wounds she received to her torso.
TV engineer who butchered his next door neighbour in a revenge attack after losing a long-running feud is caged for at least 28 years
—
(@CourtNewsUK) June 30, 2015Husband of Trevor Gibbon's victim said: 'She died for nothing in the cruellest way possible at the hands of our neighbour.'
—
(@CourtNewsUK) June 30, 2015Trevor Gibbon attack was 'truly horrifying savagery' says Judge Timothy Pontious.
—
(@CourtNewsUK) June 30, 2015Sentencing Gibbon Judge Timothy Pontius described the murder of his neighbour as a 'merciless and deliberate attack of vengeance'
—
(@CourtNewsUK) June 30, 2015Trevor Gibbon claimed he could not be convicted of murdering his neighbour because he was depressed at the time.
—
(@CourtNewsUK) June 30, 2015
Our previous coverage
Categories: Crime & the Law, Justice and the Law, News
London Multimedia News 