Callum Wheeler, a 22-year-old man described by the court as 'sick and twisted', was convicted of the murder of Julia James, a 53-year-old much-loved grandmother and mother-of-two who worked as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). The attack occurred on 27 April 2021 in Ackholt Wood, near Snowdown in Kent, where James was walking her Jack Russell dog named Toby.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told Canterbury Crown Court that Wheeler was a 'highly sexualised' individual and a prolific user of internet pornography, having searched for terms including 'raped' just two days before the murder. He had been roaming the countryside armed with a large metal railway jack, a tool used to lift train tracks, planning to target a lone female. Wheeler lay in wait in bushes for James, who became vulnerable as she was not close to other dog walkers. Data from her Apple Watch showed her heart rate and walking pace spiking when she spotted him, prompting her to change her route in a desperate attempt to escape.
Wheeler ambushed James and inflicted multiple blows to her head with the railway jack, causing catastrophic injuries described by a pathologist as the worst he had ever seen. DNA evidence found on the breast area of James' white top indicated touching that 'must have been sexual in nature', leading the prosecutor to state: 'This was a murder involving sexual conduct.' The judge, Mr Justice Wall, concluded that the attack was not a spur-of-the-moment act but one that was 'planned and thought through in advance', with Wheeler 'looking for a lone female victim' and sexually motivated.
Following his arrest, Wheeler admitted to police that 'sometimes I do things that I cannot control' and, while in custody, warned that if released, he would return to the woodland to rape and kill women, adding that James 'deserved to die'. He had no prior connection to his victim. Wheeler was found guilty of murder in May 2022 and, on 8 July 2022, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years. He was carried into the dock in handcuffs by staff from Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, where he had been held.
Mr Justice Wall told Wheeler: 'The attack you launched on her was brutal and vicious. Your actions have not just served to end the one life prematurely but have also destroyed the lives of the whole of her family.' The judge noted the public's understandable fear, linking the case to similar recent offences. Family members, including James' widower Paul James, daughter Bethan Coles, and son Patrick Davis, read emotional victim impact statements, describing the devastation as a 'life sentence' for them. Coles said outside court: 'I think we are pleased with 37 years, although clearly it never brings my Mum back. What it does do is keep women safe from harm and what he may do in the future.' Davis added: 'He should never see the light of day again.'
Kent Police Detective Superintendent Gavin Moss described Wheeler as an 'incredibly dangerous individual' who subjected James to 'the most horrific of injuries', reassuring the public that he is now off the streets for a significant period. Senior Crown Prosecutor Matt Capes from CPS South East emphasised: 'Violence against women and girls is an abhorrent blight on our society that we are determined to eradicate. Women like Julia James and their families deserve justice.' The case was reported by The Independent on 8 July 2022.