Ashley Crowder
Case Information & Details
Ashley Crowder, a 36-year-old individual, has been convicted of murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and four counts of theft in the UK. The conviction, by a jury at Bolton Crown Court, occurred on June 17, 2026, following a trial concerning the death of Graham Cox, 37. Crowder is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2026, at Bolton Crown Court.
The case revolved around Crowder holding Graham Cox hostage at a flat in Farnworth for 14 days, during which Cox was subjected to physical abuse and financial exploitation. Prosecutors alleged that Crowder "beat and strangled Mr Cox to death" and systematically stole from him by emptying his bank account and taking his benefit payments to fund a drug habit. Mr. Cox was described as vulnerable due to drug addiction and medical conditions.
Graham Cox's body was discovered on March 4, 2024, at Crowder's flat on Barton Walk, Farnworth, lying on a sofa with a blanket covering him. Paramedics noted he was "cold to the touch" and showed signs of "rigor mortis". The court heard that Mr. Cox had reported being held hostage and attacked by Crowder, and had managed to escape once through a window to seek help at a support centre, claiming Crowder forced him to hand over his benefits money.
Crowder denied physically and financially abusing Mr. Cox and claimed to police that Cox had fallen days earlier and suffered a "bleed on the brain," stating he was "just about to phone the ambulance" when officers arrived. Despite these denials, the jury found him guilty of the charges. Crowder had been re-arrested on November 5, 2025, after initially being bailed following Mr. Cox's death in March 2024, as further investigations were needed to confirm the cause of death. A preliminary hearing for the murder trial was held at Manchester Crown Court on November 8, 2025. Public court records also show hearings for Ashley Crowder at Bolton Crown Court on May 27, 2026, for trial, and June 8, 2026, for a hearing type not specified but likely related to the ongoing proceedings.