Man jailed for life for Weymouth murder
19 year old Jake Saunders will serve a minimum of 15 years
A teenager's been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 15 years, for the murder of a Weymouth grandad.
19 year old Jake Saunders has been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today (Monday 19th May), after admitting murder during a previous hearing.
He also pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker, and two counts of criminal damage.
It's in connection with the death of 75 year old Anthony Jacob in Abbotsbury Road in December last year.
What happened?
Tony was attacked after witnesses Saunders, from Weymouth, damaging a VW Transporter van parked in a driveway.
He was knocked to the floor, with Saunders repeatedly kicking him and stamping on his head.
Tony, also known as Jake to friends, was airlifted to hospital and died from his injuries nine days later.
Saunders was located by police in Newstead Road shortly after the incident and arrested - assaulting three police officers in custody.
A spokesperson for the family of Tony Jacob said: “Firstly, we would like to say thank you to all the services – the police, paramedics, the air ambulance and staff at Southampton Hospital – who helped our Dad on the night of 10th December 2024 and in the days that followed. You did everything you could to save him and you cared for him with dignity and respect. As a family you gave us the chance to be with him, to hold his hand one last time and to say our final goodbyes.
“We would also like to thank the brave witnesses who came forward to speak to the police after Dad’s murder. It cannot have been easy to do and we will be forever grateful for your support of the investigation.
“Losing Dad has been devastating for our family, his friends and the community he lived within. Hundreds of people took the time to attend Dad's funeral, to show their love, support and pay their last respects.
“Dad was an honest, hardworking man with a really kind soul and he didn’t deserve what happened to him.
“Life will never be the same without him and no sentence will ever be enough for what Jake Saunders did. It was pure evil. Dad’s life was taken for absolutely no reason – there will never be enough justice for this.
“This is something we will never get over as a family.”
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third, of Dorset Police's Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Anthony Jacob was subjected to a senseless and unprovoked attack after he bravely challenged the behaviour of Jake Saunders.
“Our thoughts will remain with Anthony’s family and friends, who have suffered an unimaginable loss as a result of Saunders’ violent actions.
“I would like to thank them for the support they have given throughout the investigation and court process as well as the dignified way they have conducted themselves throughout what must have been an extremely difficult few months.
“I also want to thank the investigation team who have worked extensively over the past few months to gather all the evidence available to them so that Saunders could be brought before the courts to face justice for his actions.”