'Only HE knows why he did it': Teenage traveller 'Rocky', 17, is jailed for life for 'random' murder of Lindsay Birbeck, 47, whose leg he tried to SAW off before dumping body in wheelie bin - as his parents wear T-shirts claiming he's innocent
The teenage traveller who murdered teaching assistant Lindsay Birbeck has been jailed for life and will serve at least 16 years behind bars.
Rocky Marciano Price, 17, named after boxing legend Rocky Marciano, strangled the 47-year-old mother-of-two before hiding her in a wheelie bin and burying her naked body in Accrington cemetery, the same place where his grandfather, who shares his name, and other family members are buried.
Lindsay's body was eventually discovered by a dog walker, wrapped in two plastic bags, on August 24 last year - 12 days after she went missing from home.
She was identified through dental records and a post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was neck injuries. Her naked body was heavily decomposed and no evidence of a sexual assault could be found.
Severe compressive force appeared to have been used, according to a Home Office pathologist, which could have been done in several ways including through stamping or kicking, or kneeling on the front of the neck.
He had tried to cut off her leg, possibly with a saw, with the judge noting the defendant hadn't realise how difficult that was.
Sentencing Price to life, Justice Yip said today: 'The attack was swift and brutal. I am sure the defendant lay in wait with the intention of killing a passing woman.
'Why he decided to kill her only he knows. If it had not been Lindsay Birbeck, it could have been someone else. This was the entirely random killing of a stranger.'
Outside court following sentencing, members of the defendant's family wore T-shirts with the words 'Wrongly Convicted Free This Boy' on the front. The back of the T-shirts read: 'Murderer Still At Large'.
Price's father, Creddy, 47, said: 'Our son is innocent, he has not got the mental capacity to hurt anyone. He has come from a loving family. He has brothers and sisters that love him and they are all broken-hearted.
'We are not going to stop fighting, if it takes us all our lives, to find this other man.
'All he has been used to all his life is the outdoors and his animals. He loves his chickens, his horses, his dogs, his deers, the wildlife, that was his life.'
He said his son had been convicted on 'circumstantial evidence' and there was no DNA to link him to the murder.
Price's mother, Martina, 39, said: 'My boy is innocent.'
The T-shirts refer to Price's defence that a mystery man had offered him 'a lot of money 'to 'get rid' of a body. The court found no evidence of the claim and it was dismissed by the jury.
Rocky Marciano Price (pictured) murdered teaching assistant Lindsay Birbeck and has been jailed for life. He will serve at least 16 years behind bars
Lindsay Birbeck with her daughter Sarah. Rocky Marciano Price, 17, has been sentenced at Preston Crown Court to life
Rocky Price's family leaving court after he was sentenced to 16 years for murdering Lindsay Birbeck.They wore t-shirts protesting his innocence
Lindsay with her son Steven. Her family paid tribute to her ahead of the sentencing of her killer in court this morning
Outside court following sentencing, members of the defendant's family wore T-shirts with the words 'Wrongly Convicted Free This Boy' on the front. The back of the T-shirts read: 'Murderer Still At Large'
The T-shirts refer to Price's defence that a mystery man had offered him 'a lot of money 'to 'get rid' of a body. The court found no evidence of the claim and it was dismissed by the jury
Lindsay left her home in Accrington, for a late afternoon walk to a nearby wooded area known as the Coppice.
The keep-fit enthusiast had invited her daughter, Sarah, 17, and Sarah's boyfriend for tea but when she did not return as planned her family raised the alarm.
Price, who was 16 at the time, had been on the prowl in the woods for lone females and is thought to have killed Lindsay shortly after she entered the Coppice.
Ahead of today's sentencing, Lindsay's daughter said: 'On August 12 2019, it was just like any normal day. I met my mum and went shopping for some new school uniform and arranged with her to have tea later the same day.
'Little did I know that day, when I said goodbye to her, it would be the last time I saw her alive.
'When I went round for tea and she wasn't there, I sat waiting for her for over an hour with my boyfriend. I couldn't understand where she could be.
'After an hour I left and went back home. I tried numerous times to contact her not knowing that she was already dead.
'As a family we have never had any contact with the police before, but from the moment she was reported missing I felt like the police were constantly asking us questions and explaining what they were doing to find my mum. This felt very weird, like it happens to other families, not ours.
'The next 12 days were absolutely awful not knowing where my mum was or what happened.
'Initially I think all the family thought she might have had an accident out walking, but once mountain rescue had done their search I think deep down I knew it was going to be something bad.
'My mum would not leave us out of choice, I knew that.
'When the police told us they had found a body we all knew it was her. The last bit of hope we had that she might still be alive was gone.
'Over the past 12 months it had felt like it has not been real.
'We are a small, very close family and we are all suffering. My brother Steven and I have lost our mum.
'This wasn't supposed to happen like this. We are going to grow up without her by our side. We will both have to get married without her there, have children and live the rest of our lives without her love and guidance.
'Steven recently won an award for apprentice of the year. He went to pick up the phone to let my mum know before the lawful realisation that she is no longer here.
Mrs Birbeck with her son Steven, 20. Mrs Birbeck was reported missing by her family just after midnight on August 13 and police started an investigation into her disappearance
Lindsay Birbeck, 47, from Accrington, Lancashire, was found buried in a shallow grave at the back of Accrington Cemetery in August last year
'She is gone forever. Her brother Darryl, my uncle, is really struggling. They grew up very close and remained that way. When he married his wife Tracy, mum sorted out a lot of the arrangements and my uncle said this was one of the best days of his life mainly thanks to her.
'My granddad has lost a daughter, he feels that you should not outlive your own child.
'My dad Tim was married to my mum although they had separated, and I know he is finding it very difficult. He is now a single parent and having to make lots of decisions without my mum for guidance.
'I know he feels very sad for Steven and I that we have lost our mum and there is nothing he can do to take our pain away.
'My mum was a higher level teaching assistant and the irony is she would have taught boys like the defendant and would have tried her best to help him.
'To know now that he murdered her for absolutely no reason is heartbreaking and has not sunk in yet. Not within me or other members of my family.
The fact that he has made us come to court and listen to every graphic detail of my mum's murder when he could have saved us this pain by pleading guilty is unforgivable.
'All our lives are completely ruined and I don't see how we will ever recover as a family as the void that has been left will never be filled.'
Price, who has an IQ of just 65, previously could not be named for legal reasons as he is under the age of 18, granting him automatic anonymity.
But after he was found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday, reporters yesterday challenged the restriction due to the severity of the crime and Justice Yip lifted the order.
Prior to her murder, Mrs Birbeck had left her home in for a late afternoon walk to a nearby wooded area known as the Coppice. Pictured: The last CCTV sighting of Ms Birbeck before she was murdered
The jury heard he had no previous convictions or cautions and had lived all his life with his parents and five siblings at their home near the cemetery, where the family have lived for 30 years.
It was revealed he was an exceptionally quiet teenager with learning difficulties but he was said to have grown up in a 'supportive family' and his specialist needs were provided for.
He attended a local specialist school after he was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Price was described by teachers as 'very quiet' and 'pretty much non-verbal', with Timothy Bradley, who taught him for 18 months at The Alternative School, adding he was 'strong for his age'.
Mr Bradley told the trial: 'He used to enjoy doing art work. We used to do gardening as well with the local community group or help sand down and varnish a bench.
'He is a very strong walker. We did the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award with him which involves walking 13km and camping for a night and then going for a walk the following morning which he would complete no problem. He was definitely a strong lad for his age.'
His usual response to conversation would be to shrug his shoulders but the school did not have any issues with him and he had never shown any signs of anger or violence, the court was told.
A psychologist assessed Price in 2015 and said he had a 'limited understanding' of his own emotional wellbeing and appeared to have little insight into the link between events and emotions.
Price regularly attended a gym and preferred to be outdoors at school. He enjoyed taking care of chickens on his family's farm, watching films, including Western's, and playing on his Xbox.
He achieved the Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award and it was hoped he could go on to college and take a course in gardening.
Headteacher Kirsty Swierkowski described how Price's mother Martina was 'desperately worried about her son's ability to cope with the world as he grew up'.
She revealed that Mrs Price was looking at the possibility of him studying landscape gardening at Myerscough College when he left The Alternative School.
She told the trial: 'There was no drama, no kicking off. He just wouldn't do it. There was no whinging or whining. He's always been a positive pupil in school. I've never had any issues with him.'
The trial also heard from teachers who said Price was well dressed and well presented at school and wasn't 'motivated' by money, unlike some of his school peers.
Mrs Swierkowski said she was first alerted to the CCTV footage of Price with the wheelie bin by another staff member on August 27.
She described Price him as 'being open to exploitation' due to his 'vulnerabilities' and told police: 'Rocky has never caused us any issues which is why this has come as a shock.
'When I was first made aware of this my initial reaction was that he could be asked to do something and he would do it without question.
'He is somebody who will either do something or not do something but he might not necessarily question what he is being asked to do.'
Speaking today, Justice Yip said: 'The murder was a truly shocking event. This was a dreadful crime which generated strong public interest.
'The public naturally wish to know who this person was as they come to terms with something that rocked the local community.
'The defendant's photograph was already placed in the public domain [as part of a CCTV appeal]. I consider it inconceivable anybody who would wish him ill-harm would not discovery his identity.
'The wider public are likely to want to know his identity and background with a view to making sense of how such a young person could do something so dreadful.
'There is a strong public interest in full and unrestricted reporting of what is plainly an exceptional case. The real public interest exists now at the time of conviction and sentence.
'Continuing reporting restrictions would substantially and considerably restrict the freedom of the press.'
The teenager - named after unbeaten heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano - is from Accrington and lives not far away from the cemetery where Lindsay Birbeck was found.
His parents Martina and Creddy Price were in court for every day that their son had to attend along with other relatives, as reported by the Lancashire Telegraph.
The defence had opposed the application to name Price due to his vulnerabilities. The court heard that Price has already been subject to two 'attacks' while on remand at HMP Wetherby.
Barrister Mark Stuart said: 'Rocky Price's difficulties are particularly with verbal or the lack of verbal communication and the difficulties he will have within a prison setting.
'He is about to face now a significant custodial sentence. Not only is it a life sentence but a significant amount of time before his position could be considered by a parole board.
'He is in a young offenders institute and is a category A prisoner. While some inmates may have some inkling what the position is, the concern is if he is named there is a significant prospect others would find out his name and that could cause him some difficulties.
Mrs Birbeck's body was found at Accrington Cemetery, which was combed by forensic officers and police for clues
A post-mortem found the mum-of-two, who had left her home for a walk when she went missing, had died as a result of compression of the neck. Pictured: Police search where Mrs Lindsay's body was found at Accrington Cemetery
Teaching assistant Lindsay Birbeck, 47, was found dead at Accrington Cemetery on the outskirts of the Lancashire town in August last year
'There is certainly a potential that those in custody may feel a degree of revulsion about what he has done and may even verbally or physically abuse him.
'It maybe difficult for him to respond and report it to the appropriate authorities.
'The effect of revealing his name will also have an effect on various members of his family.'
Jury members had previously heard how the teenager, who was 16 at the time, had killed Mrs Birbeck in a woodland before moving her body to Accrington Cemetery in a wheelie bin.
He attended a police station several days after Mrs Birbeck was found, when police released a CCTV clip of a young male pulling a blue wheelie bin behind him on Burnley Road.
He went on to admit dragging the bin from the Coppice on August 17 - with Mrs Birbeck inside - across Burnley Road to the cemetery where he buried her.
Prior to her murder, Mrs Birbeck had left her home in for a late afternoon walk to a nearby wooded area known as the Coppice.
She had invited her teenage daughter, Sarah, and Sarah's boyfriend over for tea at 6pm.
But when she did not return from her walk, her worried family raised the alarm.
The court heard her attacker had been on the prowl in the woods for lone females and is thought to have killed Mrs Birbeck shortly after she entered the Coppice.
Shortly before Mrs Birbeck entered the Coppice, another woman said she feared for her safety when a lone male wearing a grey tracksuit and his hood up followed her on her walk.
On Wednesday, a jury at Preston Crown Court convicted the youngster guilty of murder after deliberating for more than four hours.
The verdict was returned exactly a year after the murder of Mrs Birbeck, who had split up from her husband and moved to a new home in March last year after she started a new relationship.
The teenager had previously pleaded guilty to assisting in the disposal of her body but claimed he played no role in her death.
Jury members had previously heard how the teenager had killed Mrs Birbeck in a woodland (pictured) before moving her body to the cemetery in a wheelie bin
A 16-year-old boy strangled mother-of-two Lindsay Birbeck and dragged her body through the streets in a wheelie bin before burying her in a cemetery, a court has heard
Mrs Birbeck's grieving husband, Tim Birbeck, said that his wife's death has 'broken' him
He said he was offered 'a lot of money' by a mystery man to 'get rid of the body'.
Price claimed: 'I have not met this man before. I have not met him since, nor have I had any contact with him. He has not paid me any money.
'He told me that he would leave the money for me near where the body had been at first once everything was clear.'
The Crown Prosecution Service did not accept his version of events and said the defendant's account was 'implausible fiction'.
Mrs Birbeck's grieving husband, Tim Birbeck, previously said that his wife's death has 'broken' him.
And of the couple's two children, Steven Birbeck, 19, said the person who killed his mother had robbed her of the chance to become a grandmother.
Responding to posts on Facebook, Mr Birbeck, who is chairman of nearby Hapton Parish Council, told a friend he was 'broken mate, it certainly hurt'.
He also praised police for the 'speedy arrest and the way you have been with my family', but added: 'It is horrendous watching our children go through this.'
Hundreds of people had gathered at The Coppice in Accrington to search for Mrs Birbeck
One of the couple's two children, Steven Birbeck, 19, said the person who killed his mother had robbed her of the chance to become a grandmother
Steven said: 'I've always cherished the thought of seeing my mum smile.
'The fact that she will never see me and my sister grow up and not going to be there on our wedding days and never see her grandchildren deeply saddens us. All taken by some selfish person who deserves what comes around.'
The discovery of the body brought to an end an extensive search. Thousands of people in the community were involved in handing out flyers and looking for her.
More than 19,000 people had joined a Facebook group to assist emergency services with the search for the worker.
Sentencing is expected to take place on Friday.
'Only HE knows why he did it': Teenage traveller 'Rocky', 17, is jailed for life for 'random' murder of Lindsay Birbeck, 47, whose leg he tried to SAW off before dumping body in wheelie bin - as his parents wear T-shirts claiming he's innocent
!['Only HE knows why he did it': Teenage traveller 'Rocky', 17, is jailed for life for 'random' murder of Lindsay Birbeck, 47, whose leg he tried to SAW off before dumping body in wheelie bin - as his parents wear T-shirts claiming he's innocent]()
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