THREE men who murdered a sub-postmaster were jailed for life with a minimum of 34 years yesterday by a judge who branded them “parasitic criminals”.

Christopher Morrissey, aged 32, his brother Declan Morrissey, 34, and Anselm Ribera, 34, murdered 29-year-old Craig Hodson-Walker during an attempted robbery at the post office he ran with his parents in Fairfield, near Bromsgrove.

The gang, all from Birmingham, also attempted to murder Mr Hodson-Walker’s father Ken – shooting him in the leg in the January raid.

As he sentenced the trio at Birmingham Crown Court, the trial judge said he had been shocked at what he saw of their crime.

Mr Justice Colman Treacy said: “The crimes committed at Fairfield post office on the morning of January 9 were wicked and ruthless.

“Even after many years in law, I confess that on first seeing the CCTV of the murderous raid, I was shocked by what I saw.

“The effect of what the raiders did has been catastrophic to the Hodson-Walker family and his fiancee Lisa Bundy.”

Mr Justice Treacy said he would order anyone considering the release of the three men to view the CCTV of the raid as part of their decision.

He said: “Parents have lost a 29-year-old son who, behaving with great courage, did no more than seek to protect the persons and business of his parents. Lisa Bundy has lost her life partner.

“Unlike the violent parasitic criminals that these three are, the Hodson-Walkers were a hard-working, respectable family providing a valuable service to their local community.

“They have had great and lasting grief brought into their lives.”

The three murderers did not appear in court yesterday, which the judge said was their own choice.

He said: “They have shown no remorse, no shame and no contrition throughout these proceedings. They appeared indifferent to the dreadful crime that they have committed and the consequences for their innocent victims.

“While such attitudes persist in three men who have led a life of crime, their prospects of release at any point in the future are slim. I regard each of them as a real danger to the public.”

On Wednesday, a jury found the three men guilty of murder, and the attempted murder of Ken Hodson-Walker, after a 10-week trial.

They were also convicted of attempted robbery and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

Getaway driver Adrian Snape pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at an earlier hearing, and was cleared of all other charges.

On the morning the gang struck, he waited outside the post office in a stolen getaway car while Ribera and the Morrisseys stormed the shop.

Ribera was armed with an automatic pistol, which he cocked seconds after entering, and the Morrisseys shared a sledgehammer.

They demanded cash and keys from Ken Hodson-Walker, 57, who was working behind the counter, but the safe – containing about £20,000 – was on a time lock and could not be opened before 9am.

Craig Hodson-Walker rushed to his father’s aid with a cricket bat, dressed in nothing but his boxer shorts, but was shot dead.

The judge said the men had not stopped after shooting Craig Hodson-Walker, but also attacked his father, and continued trying to get into the till.

Speaking outside Birmingham Crown Court, mother Judy Hodson-Walker, 57, who had attacked the raiders with a curtain pole, said: “I just feel that Craig has stopped the evil and that those evil people, or as I have always called them the dregs of the earth, will never ever hurt anyone again. We have got justice, thank goodness.”

She said she was not surprised the three men had not come to court to hear their sentences.

Mrs Hodson-Walker said she felt good had beaten evil and was pleased the men will be locked up but she still plans to campaign for the return of hanging.

“I will be asking people if they can go to their MP to ask them to consider hanging so ordinary people do not have to fear for their lives any more,” she said.

After the verdicts yesterday, the court heard all four men had a catalogue of previous convictions, and Ribera and the Morrissey brothers had all taken part in armed robberies on post offices before.

Ribera, of Topfield House, Druids Heath, Birmingham, was also sentenced to 21 years for attempted robbery of the post office, 21 years for possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, and 34 years for attempted murder.

Christopher Morrissey, of Elmay Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, was handed the same sentences, as well as eight years for the robbery of the getaway car on New Year’s Eve last year.

His brother Declan Morrissey, of Shirley Park Road, Shirley, Solihull, was given the same sentences. They were told all sentences would run concurrently with their life sentence.

Getaway driver Snape, of Camelot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, who admitted attempted robbery, was cleared by the jury of all other charges. He was jailed for eight years.