Farmer jailed for lodger's 'body in barrel' murder

Sincity Press Staff 2 hours ago 2 min read 2
Sincity Press Brief

Richard Dyson's body was not found until nearly six years after he disappeared in rural Hoyland.

The tribunal antecedently heard Dyson had been surviving successful his car extracurricular Wright's cottage connected Sheffield Road successful Hoyland, often helping him with assorted jobs similar cutting hedges, mending tractors and driving him to appointments.

Jurors heard Wright was a "weapons fanatic" and "a collector", who owned a fig of vintage firearms, aged workplace machinery and philharmonic instruments.

Dyson's ex-partner recalled however respective months earlier his disappearance, Dyson had recovered a instrumentality weapon astatine Wright's workplace and kept it due to the fact that it was "worth a batch of money".

Prosecutors said Wright became "greatly angered" erstwhile helium recovered retired astir the theft and killed him "with a shotgun instantly to hand".

The past telephone from Dyson's telephone was made connected 17 November 2019 and helium was reported missing. Both Wright and Schwalbe, of Dike Hill, Low Harley, successful Rotherham, were interviewed by constabulary successful the months aft but denied knowing what had happened.

The pair's proceedings heard however Wright had enlisted the assistance of his puerility person Schwalbe to assistance him fell Dyson's body.

In July 2025, a reappraisal of mobile telephone information uncovered that Wright had called the proprietor of adjacent Alderthwaite Farm successful Hoyland 3 days aft Dyson disappeared.

Farmer Ian Ollerenshaw told the tribunal Wright had asked if helium could store a livestock trailer connected his onshore portion helium was "tidying up" his ain farm, and noted the events of that time successful his diary.

Ollerenshaw, who similar Wright was a tenant of the Wentworth Estate, said the trailer was towed onto his onshore by a Fordson vintage tractor, but that helium did not look wrong it erstwhile it was parked.

Dyson's assemblage was aboriginal discovered successful a concrete-filled tube wrong the padlocked trailer alongside Wright's ID.