It's nearly five years since family man Tony Fisher was murdered in his Carlton home after he was tortured for information about where his safe was, the combination and the location of the key.
He was targeted by a local criminal group – just because they found out he didn’t trust banks - and kept his savings in his house, in a safe.
Mr Fisher's body was not found for 16 hours after he was tortured and stabbed.
He was discovered by his son.
Two men were convicted of murdering Mr Fisher and were given life sentences with minimum terms of 33 years and 25 years by a judge a Nottingham Crown Court in May 2017.
Simon Palmer, 43, who was living in Edwin Street, Daybrook, was described by the judge as the ringleader of the conspiracy to rob Mr Fisher at his home.
The judge gave Palmer (formerly known as Simon Blake) a mandatory life sentence after he was found guilty of the murder - and set the minimum tariff he will serve at 33 years. He received a concurrent 20-year sentence for conspiracy to rob.
Marcus Barton, 42, of Raymede Drive, Bestwood Estate, was also given a life sentence for the murder of Mr Fisher, and his minimum tariff was set at 25 years before parole will be considered. He also received a 20-year concurrent sentence for conspiracy to rob.
At Nottingham Crown Court, Marcus Barton's son Jayden Roberts-Barton, 22, of Goodwood Avenue, Arnold, and another man Nathan Barton, who had been living in Heathfield Avenue, Old Basford, were cleared of the murder of Mr Fisher, but both were convicted on charges of conspiracy to rob and manslaughter.
Nathan Barton, 23, who the judge described as one of the junior members of the team, was given a 19-year sentence for manslaughter and 14 years to be served concurrently on the conspiracy to rob charge.
Jayden Roberts-Barton, 22, of Goodwood Avenue, Arnold, received 13 years for conspiracy to rob and 18 years for manslaughter.
A fifth man was convicted on a charge of perverting the course of justice on January 9, 2016, and received five years in prison.
The court had heard that the men tortured Mr Fisher by beating and stabbing him to give up the keys and code to his safes - one in the kitchen and another hidden inside a wardrobe.
They took his life savings - between £10,000 and £14,000 - and jewellery which was locked in two safes, at his semi-detached home in Coningswath Road, Carlton.
The senior officer who helped to bring Tony Fisher’s killers to justice had said his body was not found for 16 hours.
Speaking after the case, Detective Chief Inspector Hayley Williams said the discovery was only made when Mr Fisher’s son brought his young grandson to visit and was faced with the horrific sight of his own dad after he had been murdered in his own home.
DCI Williams had described Mr Fisher as a decent, hardworking man; a family man who was targeted by a local criminal group – just because they found out he didn’t trust banks.
“He kept his savings in his house, in a safe,” she had said. “It was Tony’s right to keep his money at home if he chose to.
“Simon Palmer, Marcus Barton, Nathan Barton and Jayden-Roberts Barton hatched a plan to steal the money. They needed Tony in that house, they needed him to tell them where the safe was, what the combination was, where the key was, and they were willing to torture him to get that information.
“The evidence shows that the injuries to Tony amounted to torture. The next door neighbours heard a commotion lasting up to 20 minutes, which shows Tony’s ordeal was prolonged.
“What makes this crime even more horrific, is the group didn’t have to kill Tony to steal the money. A short audio recording of part of the attack appeared to show Tony was actually cooperating with his attackers and was willing to tell them the code and show them where the key was but they carried on regardless.
“They beat and stabbed Tony to death, then took his money, leaving him for dead. He was not found until some 16 hours later when his son brought his young grandson to visit and was faced with the horrific sight of his own dad having been murdered in his own home.
“The sentences given out by Mr Justice Jay today reflect the seriousness of the offence, and I hope it is some small crumb of comfort to Mr Fisher’s family that the offenders have been brought to justice, although nothing will make up for the tragic and unnecessary loss of a loving husband, father and grandfather.”
