Madman who killed boy in bed will never be set free

Former soldier Anwar Daniel Rosser crept into Riley Turner’s room in the middle of the night after the boy’s mother Sharon Smith and her boyfriend had allowed him to sleep on the sofa after he had drunkenly complained that someone was after him.

Rosser, 33, a drifter and alcoholic, stabbed Riley 30 times in a sadistic and sexual attack at the family home in Harewood Road, near Keighley, last Janaury.

Riley’s mother had woken at around 4.30am to discover Rosser, who was a neighbour, curled up in a ball next to her bed, having already murdered her son.

A short time later the couple found Riley semi-naked on his bed, while Rosser had waited downstairs to “hear the devastated reaction” of the couple, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Rosser, who admitted murder, sat in the dock with his head bowed but showed little reaction as the horrific and disturbing evidence was outlined.

As Mr Justice Coulson told Rosser he would spend the rest of his life in prison, members of Riley’s jumped up and clapped, shouting, “Yes, rot in hell.”

Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, told the court: “By any standard, the circumstances of the killing were appalling, involving a savage level of violence.

“The position of the prosecution is that the murder involved a sadistic motivation and that, furthermore, there was at the very least a strong sexual component to the killing.”

Riley, who lived with his mother, stepfather, twin brother Mackenzie and baby brother Tyler, was described as an “extremely happy, active and popular little boy who was particularly close to his twin brother”.

He had spent the day before he died sledging with his family.

On the day of the murder, Rosser, who lived opposite the family, had been drinking in the nearby Bracken Arms pub and was drunk.

Later, Rosser and two women went back to Riley’s parents’ house but when they left, Rosser asked to stay, claiming some men were outside who he owed money to.

Miss Smith and boyfriend Guy Earwaker had treated Rosser with “considerable kindness” in the past, helping to furnish his flat and taking pity on him.

After Mr Earwaker discovered Riley’s body he heard the front door slam and chased after Rosser - who told him to ‘f*** off’.

Rosser was discovered the next day when he had broken into a caravan, telling the man who found him “I have ruined my life” - which Mr Greaney said demonstrated he was able to recall what had happened, despite now denying any recollection.

Sentencing Rosser to a whole life order, Mr Justice Coulson told him he had “grossly breached the trust” of Riley’s parents who showed him kindness and allowed him into their home.

He called it a premeditated crime committed with “appalling savagery”.

Riley’s mother Sharon called Rosser said: “I live every day in this nightmare. My son’s never coming back because of that sick monster.”

A spokesman for the Riley family said: “While justice has now been done, no sentence will ever be enough for what we are going through and what that man has done to our family. It will not bring our little man back. Riley was always so happy and bubbly, caring and lovely. His twin brother misses him so much.

“We will never come to terms with what has happened and will always feel hurt at the way Riley was so cruelly and suddenly taken from us.”

• My kind heart cost me my little boy’s life