Man, 67, accidentally recorded himself murdering neighbour during bitter noise dispute

James Hughes, 67, murdered Harold Turner, 68, over a noise dispute at their sheltered accommodation block in St Asaph, North Wales, on December 25, 2025

A retired jeweller from North Wales has been jailed for murdering his neighbour in a bitter noise dispute.

James Hughes, 67, repeatedly beat Harold Turner, 68, with his walking stick and sat on top of him during an incident at Old Palace Flats in St Asaph on December 25, 2025.

Hughes denied murder and manslaughter but was found guilty of murder by a jury last month. A key part of the prosecution case was audio from a dictaphone worn by Hughes, which he said he carried because he feared Mr Turner might attack him.

At Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday, Hughes was jailed for life with a minimum term of 13 years. A total of 185 days spent on remand in custody will be deducted from his sentence. He refused to leave his cell while the sentence was passed, Wales Online reports.

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The court heard that Mr Turner and Hughes lived next door to each other in the sheltered accommodation block. There had been ongoing difficulties between them, with Mr Turner making complaints about noise attributed to Hughes, including banging on walls and railings and disturbances at night.

Sentencing, Judge Matthew Nicklin said Mr Turner was “angry” and “distressed” in the hours before the murder, telling Hughes in a voicemail on on Christmas morning: “I want you to f*** off, that’s what I want. I’m going to make you f*** off and I am going to get you. You’re mine, you’re f***** with the wrong person. Good night, sleep tight.”

The judge said there was further evidence of threatening behaviour by Mr Turner that morning. He said Hughes called North Wales Police twice that morning – first to report that Mr Turner had been banging on his door and shouting, and a second time to play them the voicemail.

The judge continued: “At 11.03am, Mr Turner left a voicemail on the community house manager’s phone saying he was at the end of his tether and at breaking point and he was going to hurt somebody. Later that morning, a physical altercation between the defendant and Mr Turner occurred outside the defendant’s flat.

“I proceed on the basis Mr Turner began that physical altercation, and that is significant. The defendant did not go looking for violence that day. The confrontation took place outside the defendant’s flat after he had called the police and after threats had been made by Mr Turner.

“By way of the jury’s verdict, either he did not believe the force he used was necessary or the force he used was not reasonable in the circumstances. The central piece of evidence was the dictaphone recording which captured Mr Turner saying: ‘Get off me, I can’t breathe.’

“The defendant refused to get off him and said: ‘What a f****** shame, do you want me to hurt you again? You can f****** die for all I care, I don’t give a f***.’”

The court heard that after the incident, Hughes returned to his flat, turned on the radio and made himself a hot drink. He later called his nephew while the dictaphone was still recording, telling him: “I think I may have killed someone.”

When Hughes eventually called an ambulance, he told call handlers he believed Mr Turner may have had a heart attack. He said: “I hit him with my stick and he fell and he banged himself against the window.”

A post-mortem examination found that Mr Turner died as a result of asphyxia and had suffered blunt force trauma to his face and head.

Gordon Cole KC, for Hughes, said his client had been the victim of serious crime in South Africa on multiple occasions and was in poor physical condition.

The barrister said Hughes had called police twice on Christmas morning asking for help.

Mr Cole said his client, who had no previous convictions, would “serve the remaining years of his life in prison” due to his health.

Judge Nicklin said the incident was not a planned murder, but that Hughes had ignored Mr Turner’s pleas to get off him. The judge said Hughes’ response had instead been “angry, callous and cruel”.

Following the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Eleri Thomas said: “This was a senseless murder which was borne out of a dispute between two retired neighbours.

“Through his persistent, antagonistic actions, James Hughes drove Mr Turner to a confrontation at the door of his flat, and despite Mr Turner’s pleas that he couldn’t breathe, Hughes continued to sit on his chest and proceeded to strike his head with his walking stick.

“His recording of the attack and subsequent conversations afterwards were damning as to his guilt, and whilst Mr Turner’s family may never be able fully comprehend why this tragic incident happened, I hope we have provided them with some form of justice and closure today.”