Man jailed for life after stabbing to death ‘bedbound’ grandfather

A man has been handed a life sentence after he stabbed to death his immobile grandfather in a “frenzied” attack.

Ben Oliver, 25, of Lion Road, Bexleyheath, appeared at the Old Bailey this morning, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of nine years.

Oliver had pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May and had been remanded in custody to await sentence.

The court heard that at around midday on January 19, 2021, police attended a call to a residential address in West Park, Mottingham.

There, 74-year-old David Oliver was found suffering from stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 12.30pm.

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to have been multiple stab wounds.

During trial the court heard that David Oliver had been in poor health. He was immobile and bedbound, having suffered a stroke in 2016.

On the day of the murder, Ben Oliver entered his grandfather’s bedroom where, in what the Metropolitan Police described as a “frenzied attack”, he stabbed David Oliver with a kitchen knife.

The body was discovered shortly after and police were called.

Ben Oliver was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.

Detective chief inspector Kate Kieran, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a tragic case that has left a family fractured. My thoughts are with them today.”

Pictured top: Ben Oliver (Picture: Metropolitan Police)