Killer sentenced for murdering grandmother-in-law after she refused to give him money

A man has today been jailed for a minimum of 22 years following the murder of his wife’s 78-year-old grandmother, committed in a rage after she refused his demands for money.

Adam Wright, 39, of Bishop's Waltham, was sentenced today (27 November 2025) after he pleaded guilty to the murder of June Henty.

On the morning of 23 December 2023, while Mrs Henty was getting ready to go Christmas shopping with her daughter, she received an impromptu visit from Wright, her granddaughter’s husband, when he attacked her more than 100 times to the head, face and neck with a knife.

Mrs Henty was later found by family members and taken to hospital, where she underwent major surgery and spent 90 days in ICU.

Mrs Henty named Wright as her attacker immediately at the scene to family members and to emergency responders; and after a short manhunt he was arrested that same day.

The Crown Prosecution Service charged Wright with attempted murder, which he pleaded guilty to.

Before a sentence could be passed, Mrs Henty passed away on 14 June 2024. The postmortem examination concluded that she died as a direct result of the knife wounds inflicted on her. Wright was then charged by prosecutors with her murder. Having already admitted the intent to kill by his earlier plea to attempted murder, Wright admitted Mrs Henty's murder.

Desmond Duffy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a truly horrific and senseless act of violence against a much-loved family member.

“The sheer brutality is beyond comprehension, and Wright’s alcohol and drug consumption the previous night offers no justification for the level of anger and violence inflicted upon a woman.

“I hope as Wright faces the full consequences of his actions, Mrs Henty’s loved ones can feel some sense of justice.”