Killer obsessed with Saw films jailed for 30 years

 
Paul Cheston21 March 2013
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

A killer obsessed with the Saw series of slasher films was jailed for at least 30 years today after trying to sever the spinal cord of his victim.

Matthew Tinling, 25, knifed former soldier Richard Hamilton 17 times in the head, neck and legs at a hostel for the homeless in Maida Vale.

Police later found Saw 6 in his room which shows a similar attack among its ultra-violent scenes.

Sentencing Tinling to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey today, Judge Timothy Pontius described the attack as “vicious and savage.”

“You inflicted 17 wounds and the most serious was delivered specifically with the intent to sever the spinal cord to cause paralysis and death,” said the judge.

“It was something specific you had seen and tried to imitate.”

Tinling had murdered his disabled neighbour at a Maida Vale hostel for the homeless for the PIN to his bank account.

He used the 45 year-old victim’s cash card to withdraw £240 to spend on crack cocaine.

Mr Hamilton’s body was only discovered two weeks later after another resident noticed his door was open.

Tinling was trapped when detectives could pinpoint when he struck by the timing of twitching curtains of the victim’s bedroom window on CCTV.

The same camera captured Tinling later leaving the building to dump several plastic bags in bins.

His DNA was later found on the bedroom curtains and on a credit card holder.

Tinling was convicted of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey last month and sentenced today while handcuffed to a prison officer after recently attacking a fellow prisoner and threatening court staff.

Both Tinling and Mr Hamilton had been drug users staying at the hostel in March last year.

Mr Hamilton was known to have more money than the other residents because he received £197 disability allowance every fortnight on top of £272 in other benefits.

“That was to be his ultimate downfall,” said Zoe Johnson QC, prosecuting. “Tinling attacked and killed Richard Hamilton to force him to disclose his PIN to his bank account.”

Tinling used the PIN to withdraw £240 from Mr Hamilton’s account on April 8 last year.

Detectives believe Mr Hamilton was attacked at 2am on March 28.

Miss Johnson said: “He was stabbed to death in front of his bedroom curtain so it is more than a probability that the movement captured on the CCTV cameras was as a result of Richard Hamilton being stabbed on the other side.”

Tinling, of Maida Vale, showed no emotion as he was led to the cells.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in