Two teenage brothers who murdered a fisherman on an island in the River Thames and then boasted about the savage attack are facing life sentences.

Shane and Lenny Crawt, now aged 19 and 18 respectively, battered Scott Wilkinson, 48, to death on an island near Sunbury Lock in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, shortly after 11pm on 27 July 2016.

Mr Wilkinson’s body was found floating in the water the following day close to where he was camping.

Scott Wilkinson. Three members of the same family have been found guilty in connection with the murder of a man in Sunbury after a two and a half year investigation. Shane Crawt, 19, Lenny Crawt, 18, and Charlie Smith, 24, violently attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016. Shane and Lenny Crawt were both found guilty of murder and Charlie Smith was found guilty of Manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court (8 March). The jury heard how the Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing. They then boasted of ?killing someone? to people they knew. Scott?s body was found in the water the following day, four days after he arrived on the island to pursue his love of fishing. Scott was an avid fisherman and would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island. He arrived for his final visit on 25 July but his normal spot had been taken by Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively. Scott therefore set up his camp a short distance away in another spot. Scott?s partner and friends would visit him throughout the day to keep him company and bring him food and supplies. The night of the murder his partner had come to visit him, leaving the island just before 11pm. It was agreed when she left that Scott would call her to make sure that she had arrived home safely. A short time after she had left the island Scott was violently attacked by the Crawts and Smith. Together they punched, kicked and hit Scott using a large piece of wood. They also used a knife to injure him. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. The three believed they had killed Scott, however we know he lived for at least two hours before he died as a result of his injuries.
Scott Wilkinson was violently attacked on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016 (Picture: SWNS)
Three members of the same family have been found guilty in connection with the murder of a man in Sunbury after a two and a half year investigation. Shane Crawt, 19, Lenny Crawt, 18, and Charlie Smith, 24, violently attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016. Shane and Lenny Crawt were both found guilty of murder and Charlie Smith was found guilty of Manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court (8 March). The jury heard how the Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing. They then boasted of ?killing someone? to people they knew. Scott?s body was found in the water the following day, four days after he arrived on the island to pursue his love of fishing. Scott was an avid fisherman and would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island. He arrived for his final visit on 25 July but his normal spot had been taken by Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively. Scott therefore set up his camp a short distance away in another spot. Scott?s partner and friends would visit him throughout the day to keep him company and bring him food and supplies. The night of the murder his partner had come to visit him, leaving the island just before 11pm. It was agreed when she left that Scott would call her to make sure that she had arrived home safely. A short time after she had left the island Scott was violently attacked by the Crawts and Smith. Together they punched, kicked and hit Scott using a large piece of wood. They also used a knife to injure him. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. The three believed they had killed Scott, however we know he lived for at least two hours before he died as a result of his injuries.
The Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing (Picture: SWNS)

Mr Wilkinson would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island.

Minutes before the attack he had agreed to call his partner to make sure she got home safely after leaving him.

A post mortem found he died of severe blunt impact injuries to the head and also suffered fractured ribs along with cuts and bruises to his head, trunk and arms.

Shortly after beating him to death, the siblings, accompanied by cousin Charlie Smith, 24, boasted to another group of boys in a nearby park: ‘I wouldn’t say anything if I were you because we killed someone tonight.’

Shane Crawt. Three members of the same family have been found guilty in connection with the murder of a man in Sunbury after a two and a half year investigation. Shane Crawt, 19, Lenny Crawt, 18, and Charlie Smith, 24, violently attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016. Shane and Lenny Crawt were both found guilty of murder and Charlie Smith was found guilty of Manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court (8 March). The jury heard how the Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing. They then boasted of ?killing someone? to people they knew. Scott?s body was found in the water the following day, four days after he arrived on the island to pursue his love of fishing. Scott was an avid fisherman and would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island. He arrived for his final visit on 25 July but his normal spot had been taken by Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively. Scott therefore set up his camp a short distance away in another spot. Scott?s partner and friends would visit him throughout the day to keep him company and bring him food and supplies. The night of the murder his partner had come to visit him, leaving the island just before 11pm. It was agreed when she left that Scott would call her to make sure that she had arrived home safely. A short time after she had left the island Scott was violently attacked by the Crawts and Smith. Together they punched, kicked and hit Scott using a large piece of wood. They also used a knife to injure him. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. The three believed they had killed Scott, however we know he lived for at least two hours before he died as a result of his injuries.
Shane Crawt turned on his brother Lenny in the witness box (Picture: SWNS)

The two brothers, who turned on each other in the witness box, were both found guilty of murder following a trial at Guildford Crown Court on Friday.

Smith was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.

Helen Ellwood, from the CPS, said: ‘This was a savage attack on a man who just wanted to enjoy peace and quiet and his passion for fishing.

‘The defendants sought to blame each other for the killing, but we were able to provide a compelling case to the jury that each one of them had knowingly played a part in the attack, regardless of who was responsible for landing the fatal blow.’

Lenny Crawt. Three members of the same family have been found guilty in connection with the murder of a man in Sunbury after a two and a half year investigation. Shane Crawt, 19, Lenny Crawt, 18, and Charlie Smith, 24, violently attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016. Shane and Lenny Crawt were both found guilty of murder and Charlie Smith was found guilty of Manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court (8 March). The jury heard how the Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing. They then boasted of ?killing someone? to people they knew. Scott?s body was found in the water the following day, four days after he arrived on the island to pursue his love of fishing. Scott was an avid fisherman and would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island. He arrived for his final visit on 25 July but his normal spot had been taken by Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively. Scott therefore set up his camp a short distance away in another spot. Scott?s partner and friends would visit him throughout the day to keep him company and bring him food and supplies. The night of the murder his partner had come to visit him, leaving the island just before 11pm. It was agreed when she left that Scott would call her to make sure that she had arrived home safely. A short time after she had left the island Scott was violently attacked by the Crawts and Smith. Together they punched, kicked and hit Scott using a large piece of wood. They also used a knife to injure him. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. The three believed they had killed Scott, however we know he lived for at least two hours before he died as a result of his injuries.
The brothers will be sentenced on Tuesday (Picture: SWNS)

Prosecutors were able to pin down the time of the attack by analysing data from Mr Wilkinson’s cardiac implantable loop recorder which was inserted in 2013 to monitor his heart rate.

A spike at 11.18pm on July 27 was potentially caused by the onslaught upon him and jurors heard he lay dying for several hours until 2.31am when readings were inconsistent with a living person.

Charlie Smith. Three members of the same family have been found guilty in connection with the murder of a man in Sunbury after a two and a half year investigation. Shane Crawt, 19, Lenny Crawt, 18, and Charlie Smith, 24, violently attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016. Shane and Lenny Crawt were both found guilty of murder and Charlie Smith was found guilty of Manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court (8 March). The jury heard how the Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing. They then boasted of ?killing someone? to people they knew. Scott?s body was found in the water the following day, four days after he arrived on the island to pursue his love of fishing. Scott was an avid fisherman and would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island. He arrived for his final visit on 25 July but his normal spot had been taken by Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively. Scott therefore set up his camp a short distance away in another spot. Scott?s partner and friends would visit him throughout the day to keep him company and bring him food and supplies. The night of the murder his partner had come to visit him, leaving the island just before 11pm. It was agreed when she left that Scott would call her to make sure that she had arrived home safely. A short time after she had left the island Scott was violently attacked by the Crawts and Smith. Together they punched, kicked and hit Scott using a large piece of wood. They also used a knife to injure him. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. The three believed they had killed Scott, however we know he lived for at least two hours before he died as a result of his injuries.
Charlie Smith was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter (Picture: SWNS)

Officers combed through CCTV footage of routes to and from the island to prove the three relatives were the only others there when Mr Wilkinson was set upon.

Mr Wilkinson’s partner saw the trio when she delivered food to him the night he was attacked, while DNA and fingerprint evidence also tied them to the scene.

The killers’ own boasts after the ambush also helped condemn them after prosecutors were able to play a mobile phone recording of the brothers bragging about ‘laying into’ their helpless victim.

Three members of the same family have been found guilty in connection with the murder of a man in Sunbury after a two and a half year investigation. Shane Crawt, 19, Lenny Crawt, 18, and Charlie Smith, 24, violently attacked 48-year-old Scott Wilkinson on an island near Sunbury Lock in July 2016. Shane and Lenny Crawt were both found guilty of murder and Charlie Smith was found guilty of Manslaughter at Guildford Crown Court (8 March). The jury heard how the Crawt brothers and their cousin Charlie Smith brutally attacked Scott before fleeing the island and destroying their clothing. They then boasted of ?killing someone? to people they knew. Scott?s body was found in the water the following day, four days after he arrived on the island to pursue his love of fishing. Scott was an avid fisherman and would often spend days at a time camping and fishing on the island, known locally as Donkey Island. He arrived for his final visit on 25 July but his normal spot had been taken by Shane Crawt, Lenny Crawt and Charlie Smith, who at the time were aged 17, 16, and 21 respectively. Scott therefore set up his camp a short distance away in another spot. Scott?s partner and friends would visit him throughout the day to keep him company and bring him food and supplies. The night of the murder his partner had come to visit him, leaving the island just before 11pm. It was agreed when she left that Scott would call her to make sure that she had arrived home safely. A short time after she had left the island Scott was violently attacked by the Crawts and Smith. Together they punched, kicked and hit Scott using a large piece of wood. They also used a knife to injure him. The attack was so violent that they caused catastrophic head injuries, leaving Scott for dead. The three believed they had killed Scott, however we know he lived for at least two hours before he died as a result of his injuries.
Mr Wilkinson’s body was found floating in the water close to where he had set up camp (Picture: SWNS)

Ms Ellwood said: ‘It is highly unusual for a murder case to consist of so much evidence of what the defendants told other people about the events of that night.

‘By speaking to others about what had happened, the defendants inadvertently helped to build a stronger prosecution case against them, which eventually led to each of them admitting they were on the island when Scott was attacked.’

They will be sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday.

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