Man Pleads Guilty to Murder of Convicted Child Sex Offender

A 66-year-old man has admitted to the murder of a convicted paedophile. Anthony Gardiner, previously residing at Daniels Road, Stroud, attacked John Coxon, 76, at Mr. Coxon’s home address in Park Road, Stonehouse, in January 2022. Mr. Coxon, who had several convictions for child sexual offences and had served a year in prison in 2016, sustained a head injury during the incident and remained hospitalized until his death two months later. During a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, Gardiner pleaded guilty to murder and was remanded into custody, awaiting sentencing on 17 January. Detective Inspector Adam Stacey stated that Gardiner had been originally arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. “When he died in hospital months later, we launched a murder investigation and then re-arrested Gardiner.” He further added that he welcomed the guilty plea, which meant Coxon’s family did “not have to go through the process of a trial”.