Murderer’s Criminal Past Revealed, Including Fraud Against WWII Veteran

Details of the criminal history of a man who murdered his ex-partner by drowning her in a river have emerged following his life sentence. Vincent Morgan, aged 47, received a minimum 21-year prison sentence on Wednesday for the murder of Lisa Welford. Ms Welford passed away in hospital after Morgan submerged her in the River Derwent in Malton. At his sentencing hearing, Leeds Crown Court was informed that Morgan, described as a serial domestic abuser, had accumulated 47 prior convictions. Among these was an offense from 2022, where he exploited and manipulated his 102-year-old neighbor, Raymond Whitwell, a World War Two veteran. Mr Whitwell, a widower who served with the British Army at Dunkirk, placed his trust in Morgan, agreeing to pay him £10 for gardening services at his Malton residence. However, as detailed by the Scarborough News, Morgan subsequently convinced the elderly man to provide his bank card, claiming he needed to borrow funds. Over a period of several weeks, Morgan proceeded to steal £4,240 from Mr Whitwell’s account, spending the money on alcohol and gambling. Mr Whitwell only discovered Morgan’s systematic withdrawals upon receiving his bank statement. Upon the discovery of these offenses, law enforcement officers also found that Morgan had taken Mr Whitwell’s war medal and Battle of Britain brochures. Morgan pleaded guilty to fraud, theft, and handling stolen goods, after initially denying the accusations, and received a 15-month prison sentence at that time. Following his release, however, his criminal behavior escalated significantly, culminating in the murder of his former partner. During the sentencing proceedings, the court heard that Morgan, residing at Chandler’s Wharf in Malton, was under his third violence prevention order and out on police bail for an assault on Ms Welford. Nevertheless, on April 24, he violated the order and was observed consuming alcohol with Ms Welford in York. The court heard that the two returned to Malton and were drinking by the River Derwent when Morgan fractured her femur and submerged her. Ms Welford succumbed to her injuries in hospital the following day. Judge Guy Kearl, the Recorder of Leeds, characterized Morgan as “brutal and callous”. He stated, “For some years you were her partner, someone who ought to have cared for her and looked after her.” He added, “However, over the past two decades you have shown yourself to be a person who is violent, particularly when intoxicated with alcohol or drugs.” Mr Whitwell, who enlisted in the British Army in 1939, participated in the retreat to Dunkirk but was not among those rescued during the well-known evacuation from the beaches. He remained in France for an additional 16 days before being rescued by a Dutch fishing boat. Following the war, he established himself as a prominent shopkeeper and market trader in Malton, continuing to work until the age of 90. He passed away in November at 105 years old.