Man Guilty Of Murdering Women On Puppy Farm

Lowe showed no emotion when the verdicts were read out

A dog breeder has been found guilty of murdering his partner and her daughter at his puppy farm.

John Lowe, 82, opened fire on 66-year-old Christine Lee and her daughter Lucy Lee, 40, with a shotgun he normally used for killing rats.
Christine's daughter, Stacy Banner, said after his trial: "The shotgun was one of seven that had been returned to him by the police only months before he used it to kill."
She added: "John Lowe pulled the trigger but it was the Surrey Police who put the gun in his hands."

Christine Lee and her daughter Lucy: 'Two caring people'

Surrey Police has apologised to the family after Lowe's shotguns were returned to him in July last year following their confiscation the previous March.
The force said two reports indicated the decision was "flawed" and vowed to "co-operate fully" with an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation.
Lowe told his trial at Guildford Crown Court that the women's deaths near Farnham in Surrey in February were "a terrible accident" after a struggle over the gun as he went to destroy some dogs.

Lowe at the police station after his arrest

But the jury of six men and six women convicted him of their murders after hearing that, following his arrest, he told the police he had "put down" the women because they had been "giving me s*** for weeks".
They also heard that Lucy made a "desperate" 999 call saying that Lowe had killed her mother and telling the operator she was going back to confront him.
She was then shot twice, with Lowe reloading the .410 calibre double-barrelled weapon between shots.

Police and forensics at the scene of the shootings

Lowe, who listened to proceedings through a hearing loop, showed no emotion as the verdicts were given.
Speaking outside court, Mrs Banner said Lowe "brutally and deliberately murdered my mum and my sister by shooting each of them at close range with a shotgun - they did not stand a chance".
She added: "My life stopped when their lives ended on 23rd February this year. It will never be the same for me or my children who have lost their aunt and Nanny Burger King."

Stacy Banner reads out a statement to the waiting media

She also called for the way gun licensing decisions are made to be changed.
Christine Lee's sister, Julia James, said: "Christine had a heart of gold and was full of life. Lucy believed in protecting life and being kind to others.
"I witnessed on numerous occasions how caring Christine and Lucy had been towards Lowe. It has been heart-breaking listening to his lies."

An aerial view of the puppy farm

Surrey Police said three of its employees are being investigated for gross misconduct over the decision to return Lowe's guns before the shooting.
It is also reviewing all cases where guns have been removed and then returned to people in the last three years.