Lee Peacock, a convicted killer serving a life sentence for the brutal murders of Sharon Pickles and Clinton Ashmore, has died at HMP Long Lartin. The 53-year-old was found dead on March 4, 2025, with an investigation currently underway by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
The Crimes
Peacock’s violent spree began on August 18, 2021, when he murdered Sharon Pickles, 46, by slitting her throat with a Stanley knife at her home in Marylebone, London. The attack occurred while her bedridden flatmate slept in another room.
The next day, Peacock used the same blade to kill Clinton Ashmore, 59, inflicting nine wounds to his face, neck, and left arm. Mr. Ashmore’s body was discovered by friends “collapsed next to his bed,” with witnesses describing the scene as “horrifying” with “blood everywhere.”
Peacock was sentenced at the Old Bailey in February 2023 to a minimum of 39 years in prison. During sentencing, Mr Justice Murray stated, “The minimum term I must impose in this case means that even if you live a long life, there is a strong possibility that you will die in prison even before you are eligible for consideration for release by the Parole Board.”
Investigation into Death
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) is conducting an independent investigation into Peacock’s death. Adrian Usher, representing the PPO, stated: “My office, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, is carrying out an independent investigation into the death of Lee Peacock. Our final investigation report will be published after the inquest has concluded.”
Further details regarding the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it remain under investigation.
