British farmer sentenced to 35 years for 2019 murder of lodger whose remains were hidden in concrete barrel

A 73-year-old South Yorkshire farmer was jailed for a minimum of 35 years for the 2019 murder of his lodger, whose dismembered remains were discovered six years later encased in a concrete-filled barrel on a farm trailer. Christopher Wright shot Richard Dyson, 55, in the chest and arm before concealing the body in a blue barrel at a property near Barnsley. Wright was also convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial, and six firearms offences following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court in July. Dyson vanished in November 2019, and his remains were not located until a police search in July 2025 uncovered the barrel. A review of mobile phone data linked Wright to the farm owner days after the disappearance. Karl Schwalbe, 72, received a three-year sentence for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.