Man sentenced to 35 years for shooting lodger and hiding body in barrel
A farmer received a 35-year prison term after killing his lodger and concealing the victim’s remains in a concrete-filled barrel on a Barnsley farm.
The disappearance of 55-year-old Richard Dyson in November 2019 culminated in a grisly discovery when his remains were located inside a concrete-filled barrel stored in a trailer on a farm near Barnsley, nearly six years later. At Sheffield Crown Court, Christopher Wright, aged 73 and formerly a butcher, was found guilty of murder after shooting Dyson during an attempted gun theft, and was also convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial and six firearms offences.
His childhood friend, 72-year-old Karl Schwalbe, was sentenced to three years for perverting the course of justice after assisting in the body’s concealment. The court heard a victim impact statement from Dyson’s daughter, Bethany Dainty, who said the case turned her life into a “living nightmare.” Wright’s sentencing reflects the severity of the crimes, while the case highlights the prolonged anguish endured by the victim’s family.
Why it matters
The case underscores the seriousness of violent crime and the lasting trauma for families of missing persons.
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