Homophobic Murderer staying in Prison

July 19, 2010

A man with a history of attacking gay men will remain in prison after failing to have his gay murder conviction over turned.

Mark Malone, 33, from Walton-on-Thames stabbed HIV worker Jeffrey Akers, 50, to death in a washroom near Walton Bridge in 2008 while carving his knife.

A year earlier Malone attacked another gay man at the same toilet, and in 2003 in Cornwall he was convicted of assaulted when he attacked an autistic man who he believed was gay.
 

Malone’s lawyers argued that homophobia was not the motive for Akers’ death, but the history of assaults against gay men was enough to convince the judge it was.

An “unhealthy interest in knives and a hatred of homosexuals” was how Malone was described during the trial.
 

Malone argued his conviction was unsafe in his attempt to have his sentence repealed.
 

“No sentence would bring Jeffrey back, but I am very pleased the appeal judges have not overturned the conviction,” said the victim's father Peter Akers speaking to the Barry and District News.

“The judge at the time warned us he would appeal because he has nothing to lose, but he also said it was unlikely he would win.”
 

Image source: Shayan Sanyal.