A COUNTY Durham man with an "insatiable thirst" for money was facing life in jail today for the cold-blooded execution of his parents for his £230,000 inheritance.
Convicted fraudster Stephen Seddon, 46, had once before tried to murder his father, Robert Seddon, 68, and mother, Patricia, 65, by driving into a canal with them strapped in the back seats in a faked road accident.
Seddon then played the hero in the aftermath of the accident after aborting the murder plan when bystanders went to their aid in the submerged car.
But after that plan failed, four months later he blasted the couple to death with a sawn-off shotgun at their suburban home in Sale, Greater Manchester.
His parents had made him sole beneficiary of their £230,000 estate in their will - and paid with their lives.
Today, the father of three, from Benevente Street in Seaham, County Durham, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder on March 20 last year and two counts of murder on July 4, after a five-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.
CCTV shows Stephen Seddon's movements on the day of the murders
More Crime News
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here