In a legal first, a double killer who was acquitted in the 1990s and then went on to kill again has been sentenced to life in prison.
Rickie Tregaskis, 53, was first acquitted by a jury in 1991 of murdering Barbara Griffin, 59, and trying to murder her aunt Emma Anton, aged 85, in August 1990 at Mrs Griffin’s house in St Helier, Jersey.
Tregaskis went on to conduct another unprovoked murder seven years later, this time of Michael Josey in Mevagissey, Cornwall, whom he stomped to death after ‘looking at him in a weird manner.’
The victims’ relatives feel they have finally received justice after Tregaskis was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison on Thursday.
Cheryl Lowe, Mrs Griffin’s daughter, said outside the court following the judgment that her mother could now’rest in peace.’
‘We’ve waited 30 years for this, nearly 32 years,’ she remarked. It means everything; my mother may finally rest in peace; we’ve been waiting all these time, and now everyone knows who killed her.’ It was the first case of its sort in Jersey since the Channel Island modified its double jeopardy rule in 2019, allowing for a retrial after an acquittal and putting it in line with the UK.
The murderer, who has Multiple Sclerosis, will now spend the rest of his life in jail, his second life sentence.
The Royal Court in Jersey heard in May this year that Tregaskis broke into Mrs Griffin’s ground floor apartment, which her aunt was visiting, on the night of August 2, 1990.
During a furious assault, he stabbed Ms Anton in her sleep while Mrs Griffin heroically sought to rescue her aunt.
The 85-year-old amazingly survived after being stabbed repeatedly in the left side, but Mrs Griffin died from a heart attack while running to her aid.
Despite the fact that Tregaskis was arrested and charged with the murder and assault five days later on August 7, 1990, a jury unanimously declared him not guilty in his 1991 trial.
However, Tregaskis was convicted of murder and attempted murder this week, 31 years after the event, after a 2012 cold case review and re-investigation.
It comes after an eight-day retrial at the Royal Court, when the jury unanimously convicted him guilty. Mr Josey’s nephew, Gary Wyatt, argued at the sentence hearing on Thursday that his uncle would still be alive if justice had been served the first time.
‘I hope he gets a life sentence so he never has to leave jail again,’ Mr Wyatt added.
‘I understand he now has a handicap, but he still has psychopathic tendencies, and I continue to feel he is a risk to the public.’
‘After being freed for previous offenses, he went on to assault individuals.’ And there might yet be crimes for which he has never been convicted.
‘I think he will attack again if he is ever freed; he has nothing to lose.’
‘I hope today’s sentence court recognizes that if Tregaskis had been convicted the first time, my uncle would still be alive today.’
The matter was submitted to the Jersey Court of Appeal earlier this year, which annulled the acquittal and set a fresh trial date of April 26, 2022.
‘Today’s sentencing marks the end of what has been a long and challenging re-investigation into the horrific attack in the early hours of Thursday 2 August 1990 when Emma Anton was viciously stabbed as she lay in her bed, and her niece Barbara Griffin murdered as she came to her aunt’s assistance,’ said a spokesperson for Jersey Police.
‘Hopefully, today’s punishment will go a long way toward assuring Barbara and Emma’s families that justice has finally been delivered after 32 years.’
‘Tregaskis perpetrated an unjustified, cruel, and despicable conduct against two ladies, aged 59 and 85, in what should have been the protection of their home in the middle of the night.
‘Thankfully, Tregaskis has now faced justice for his horrific deeds, thanks to the guts and moral fortitude of a number of persons who testified throughout the trial.’
Tregaskis was apprehended less than a week after murdering Barbara, but the ensuing trial was marred by delays, including the lead prosecution witness refusing to testify and escaping to the United Kingdom.
He maintained his life of violent crime after his release and was eventually sentenced to six and a half years in prison for a variety of offenses, including stabbing a doorman.
Tregaskis was granted parole in February 1997 on the condition that he reside with his father in Mevagissey, where he kicked Mr Josey to death only weeks later.
He was sentenced to life in jail with a minimum term of 20 years in 1999, but he is still in prison after being denied release.
‘Over the years that this investigation has taken place, Barbara and Emma’s families have demonstrated patience, understanding, and support to the police, for which I’m extremely grateful, and I’m pleased that today’s sentence may help to begin their own healing process,’ said Senior Investigating Officer Lee Turner.
‘I’d like to personally express my heartfelt gratitude to the witnesses who recently testified, for their bravery in supporting the investigation and facing the ordeal of giving evidence in court, and to the invaluable input and support of my colleague Clyde Till, who has worked alongside me throughout the entirety of this re-investigation, and without whom this outcome could have been very different.’
‘I also want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the original investigation team in 1990, who worked so hard to get justice for Barbara and Emma, and whose efforts provided a solid platform on which this re-investigation could build and develop, despite the fact that some of those officers are no longer with us to see this conclusion.’