A father who murdered a sex worker recruited his own daughter to help dispose of her body in a canal before she went to a Peaky Blinders fancy dress event, a court has heard.
John Anslow, 65, was convicted of killing Chereiss Bailey, 36, after she met him in West Bromwich on September 27 last year. Birmingham Crown Court heard that, after the murder, Anslow called daughter Hayley-marie Ferguson and asked her to come to his bungalow carrying paving slabs.
Daughter's role in disposal
The next day Ferguson helped clean the property and remove incriminating evidence before heading out to a Peaky Blinders-themed event in costume, according to Birmingham Live.
But later that night she returned to her father's home, where the pair loaded Ms Bailey's body into Anslow's wheelchair and transported it to the Walsall Canal near Ryders Green Road. There, prosecutors said, they dumped her body into the water, weighted down with paving slabs in an attempt to conceal the crime. Ms Bailey's remains were retrieved on October 7.
Convictions and family statement
On Thursday, September 3, Anslow, 65, was found guilty of murder, having already admitted to preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body. Ferguson, 42, of Heronville Road, West Bromwich, was not alleged to have played any part in Ms Bailey's killing. She was, however, found guilty of preventing the lawful and decent burial of her body, as well as assisting an offender. Both will be sentenced at a later date.
In a statement, Ms Bailey's family said: "Chereiss was a much-loved daughter, sister, mother, auntie, granddaughter and friend, but those words alone could never explain what she meant to us."
They went on to say: "The hardest part is knowing how much life she still had left to live. There should have been more birthdays, more Christmases, more laughter, more family memories and so many ordinary days that we never imagined we would have to live without her."
Police reaction
Detective Inspector Michelle Cordell remarked: "It is difficult to comprehend the abhorrent actions of John Anslow and his daughter Hayley Ferguson late September last year."
She went on to say: "Our team have worked relentlessly to gather and present evidence shown during this trial. I hope today's verdict provides some comfort to Chereiss' family who have acted with incredible dignity and restraint throughout this difficult process, and who continue to grieve her loss."
