Man facing lengthy jail term after admitting Cambridgeshire double murder

Stephen Alderton pleaded guilty during a brief appearance at Cambridge Crown Court.

The bodies of Gary Dunmore, left, and Joshua Dunmore were discovered on March 29 (Cambridgeshire Police/ PA) (PA Media)

A 67-year-old man is facing a lengthy prison sentence after admitting the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in two villages six miles apart.

The bodies of Gary Dunmore, 57, and Joshua Dunmore, 32, were discovered at properties in The Row, Sutton, and Meridian Close, Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, on March 29.

Stephen Alderton, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to their murders during a brief appearance before Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.

Wearing a grey polo shirt and blue jeans, the defendant showed no emotion as he entered his pleas, with family members of the two victims watching on from the jury seats of the court.

He spoke only to confirm his name and to enter his pleas.

Cambridgeshire Police said after the hearing that Alderton shot Joshua Dunmore twice in the hallway of his home in Bluntisham at 9.09pm.

The defendant shot Gary Dunmore three times in the hallway of his home in Sutton 31 minutes later, a force spokesman said.

Alderton drove off in his campervan but was arrested at about 1.30am the following day on the M5 near Worcester, police said.

He was interviewed by police but did not answer any questions.

After Alderton admitted the murders, Judge Mark Bishop remanded him in custody to be sentenced on October 20.

Alderton denied one count of possession of a firearm, a double-barrelled shotgun, with intent to cause fear of violence to another person, a neighbour of one of the victims.

Prosecutor Peter Gair said there was “no public interest to be served by seeking a trial” on the count and the judge ordered that it lie on file.

Family members of the two dead men did not want to speak following the hearing, during which no facts of the case were opened.

At the time of the shootings, police described the incident as “targeted” and said that the “primary line of investigation” was that the incident related to a “familial issue”.

Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said at the time that it had been “widely reported in the media that this may relate to a custody battle”.

“I can confirm that is an active line of inquiry for us,” he said.

At court on Wednesday, prosecutor Mr Gair said they were “still at an early stage in terms of getting evidence that will help” in the case.

“There’s an application before the family court,” he said.

A floral tribute left to builder Gary Dunmore at the time described him as “a man who loved his family dearly, a dear friend to all, so helpful and kind and was always around as a friend”.

A floral tribute left to Joshua Dunmore in Bluntisham said: “So sad a young life to be taken like this and a little boy now with no daddy.”

Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias, from Cambridgeshire Police’s major crime unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Gary and Josh at this difficult time.”