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Teen killer jailed
4:58pm Friday 4th May 2007
Comments (9)A teenage killer who gunned down a young father who dared stand up to him and his gang of hoodies has been jailed for a minimum of 25 years.
Bradley Tucker, 18, was jailed today after being convicted for the shooting of Croydon-born Peter Woodhams, 22, on August 21 last year.
The satellite engineer, who was working seven day weeks to provide for his family, died in the arms of his fiancee Jane Bowden in front of their three-year-old son Sam.
The shooting was the final, tragic chapter in a seven-month campaign of intimidation that started with the gang pelting Mr Woodhams' car with stones.
When he stopped one of the youths grabbed hold of him while a boy answering the description of mixed-race Tucker shouted: "Hold him, hold him. I'm going to do him", slashing Mr Woodhams' face and stabbing him in the neck.
On the day he died, Mr Woodhams was driving home and saw Tucker hanging around near his house smoking cannabis with other youths.
Mr Woodhams chased the youths away and went home as Tucker shouted abuse at the 22-year-old father of one.
Tucker armed himself with a pistol, put his hood up and sprinted down Leslie Road towards Mr Woodhams, who had left his house to confront him.
Firing as many as eight times, the fatal bullet penetrated Mr Woodhams' chest, piercing the heart and both lungs.
He collapsed outside his front door in full view of his son Sam.
The Recorder of London, Judge Peter Beaumont QC ordered Tucker should not be released until he had served a minimum of 25 years, saying there were no mitigating factors.
"You perceived disrespect. You feared the loss of face in a challenge that you perceived from the man you killed, a challenge to the standing that you felt you had in the eyes of those around you," Judge Beaumont said.
Tucker admitted pulling the trigger and pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder claiming he thought the gun fired blanks.
Mr Woodhams went to school in South Norwood and lived in New Addington.
Your Say YourCroydon Guardian
KEITH TAYLOR, Dorking Surrey says...
12:59pm Sat 5 May 07
Novparl, Sutton says...
1:00pm Sat 5 May 07
tony holbrook, eastbourne says...
1:33pm Sat 5 May 07
Ken J, Virginia, USA says...
6:12pm Sat 5 May 07
arthur, Leominster says...
10:08pm Sat 5 May 07
By the way, where oh where was he able to get a gun? Oh, I forgot, he is a criminal; they don't have a problem getting guns.
John, London says...
8:09am Sun 6 May 07
Guns may still be here but I think you'll find the problem is no where near what it is in America.
Trasie, Mitcham says...
9:21am Sun 6 May 07
Martin, says...
7:41pm Sun 6 May 07
But all of this is useless unless the future killers are aware of the retribution that awaits them. So lets have the widest possible publicity for this story of a brutal savage murder, and the terrible consequences for the savage who committed it.
But what of the other gang members. In France they would be held responsible too. So why not here ?
Gunned down: Father-of-one Peter Woodhams
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jamie skinner, new addington says...
7:49am Sat 5 May 07