Life sentence for solicitor's murder

Christopher Scholey was walking home when he was stabbed

A drug addict who stabbed to death a retired solicitor has been jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court.

Gary Bradley, 36, had earlier admitted murdering 53-year-old Christopher Scholey and attacking three other people in September and October last year.

The court heard how Mr Scholey had been walking back from his allotment in Leeds when he was stabbed a number of times by Bradley in Cross Flatts Park on 30 September 2002.

He died later in hospital from severe wounds to his chest.

Mr Justice Tugendhat said although Bradley was now addressing his drug habit he was still a risk to the public.

He told him: "A particularly serious aspect of the offences is that all your victims were vulnerable, middle-aged and elderly people.

Gary Bradley is a heroin addict

"If you were, in the future, to commit or attempt to commit burglaries or robbery similar to the ones here it is clear the consequences would be another death or deaths."

Mr Scholey rose to become a partner during 21 years working for the Barnsley law firm Mills, Kemp & Brown.

The solicitor lived with his elderly mother in the Beeston area of Leeds.

Bradley, of Trentham Place, Beeston, pleaded guilty to one charge of murder, two of aggravated burglary, one of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one of robbery.

He was sentenced to 10 years for the offences of aggravated burglary and wounding with intent, six years for the robbery and a further seven years for the second offence of aggravated burglary.

All the sentences are to run concurrently.