Vigilante father and son handed life sentences after attacking thief with ninja sword

A father and son have been convicted of murder after they attacked a thief in a supposed vigilante attack with a ninja sword and a knife.

David King along with his son Edward were alerted to the presence of a thief in their neighborhood of Bury St Edmunds (in the UK) by surveillance footage.

As reported by Sky News, the victim was 47-year-old Neil Charles who had spent the evening in June 2021 attempting to open doors to cars and houses.

Charles, who had previous convictions for theft and burglary, was set upon by the father and son duo where he was fatally stabbed.

Sky News reports that the Kings had a "fascination" with weapons and did not seek to alert the authorities before taking the law into their own hands.

David King armed himself with a double-edged fighting knife on the night of the attack, while his son - who was 18 at the time - took it upon himself to carry a 27-inch ninja sword.

The sword was used to wound Charles above his knee, as well as flatten a tire on the bicycle used by the thief during the evening.

Police stated that Charles wasn't in the vicinity of the King family residence and was moving further away before the two men caught up with him.

Autopsy examinations revealed that the 47-year-old died due to a four-inch stab wound to his chest.

The police apprehended David King that night after he phoned them explaining that a thief was attempting to steal cars and that he had attempted to capture him.

Charles was discovered with a stab wound and was quickly transported to the hospital where he lost his life two days later.

The father was arrested at the scene and his son was picked up a few hours later. Suffolk police investigated their phones and concluded: "[They had] a fascination with weapons and, following previous thefts in the area, a clear intent and desire to deal with any perceived criminals themselves."

During their trial, the pair denied murdering Charles and the father stated that the thief had run into his knife, as opposed to him using it with force.

Suffolk police said: "[The men intended to] hunt down and attack Mr. Charles in what can only be described as an act of vigilantism."

Both men were convicted of murder and received life sentences, with David King having to serve at least 21 years behind bars, with his son Edward having to serve at least 19 before being eligible for an early release.

Charles' sister, Linnet Booth, said that her brother was a "kind and gentle person" who was "never aggressive and always one to retreat when he didn't like a situation".

She added: "We know he took the wrong path in life but he wasn't violent or aggressive and that night he was simply trying to get away."

He had been due to marry his fiancée in August 2021.

Heather King, the wife, and mother of the pair convicted of murder has stated that the decision will be appealed.

Featured image credit: Joe Kuis / Alamy