A man who admitting killing a Salford University student because he didn’t like the victim’s sexuality has been jailed for life.
Homeless Lee Arnold, 37, appeared via video link from a Ashworth psychiatric unit to plead guilty on Monday 11 July at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Arnold had taken advantage of meeting the “kind-hearted” Mr Lound to gain his trust, before stabbing him to death in a frenzied attack.
Police said the murderer killed the 30-year-old after meeting him for the first time because he “didn’t like William’s sexuality and the way he chose to live his life”.
William had allowed the homeless man to use his shower before his guest turned the tables in the most violent and horrific way.
Detective Superintendent Simon Retford from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said: “During the investigation police identified several reasons to believe that this murder was a transphobic and homophobic hate crime.
“This was a horrific murder of a young man whose only mistake was to trust and try to help the wrong person.”
Arnold was sentenced on Monday to life in prison with a minimum of 23 years and four months.
Promising 30-year-old IT student William Lound, who it emerged was formerly homeless himself, was found murdered at his student halls in February.
William, described by family as a ‘kind, generous and unique young man’, had won a scholarship to study Computer Science at the University of Salford University.
Originally from Southport, he had been staying in the Salford student halls for the first year of his degree.
Police discovered William’s body with multiple stab wounds to his neck and back in his room at the Bramall Court tower block on Cannon Street.
Arnold was arrested and charged when he confessed to the killing to a PCSO in Manchester city centre just hours after stabbing William to death.
He was remanded in custody at the Ashworth psychiatric unit in Merseyside.
Det Supt Retford added: “William had been homeless some years ago but managed to turn his life around and got a place at university which made his loved ones immensely proud.
“Lee Arnold used William’s kind heart and good nature to gain his trust and then stabbed him to death.
“My heart goes out to William’s mum and family who have shown such strength through the most unimaginable heartbreak.
“I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the LGBT community that I do not believe this was a case of Arnold randomly attacking somebody from within that community. Sadly it appears that he and William had previously met, which ended up leading to his tragic death.
“GMP stands together with the LGBT community and we are determined to stamp out hate crime and hope anyone who is affected will come and report it to police.”
