Robber murdered man at cashpoint after raping two women in four-day ‘rampage’
Carl Ellitts, 26, faces life in jail when he is sentenced next month.
An ‘extremely violent’ mugger who left a man to die in the street after attacking him by a cashpoint at the end of a four-day ‘rampage’ is facing a life sentence.
Carl Ellitts, 26, also raped two vulnerable women before targeting 48-year-old Roy Deeley-Price at the ATM at a petrol station in Wolverhampton late on May 28 last year.
Harrowing CCTV footage showed the two men grappling before Ellitts tripped Mr Deeley-Price, held him by his throat and then stamped on his head and face up to six times.
He could be seen walking away but returned less than a minute later and dragged the older man’s body into a nearby bush, before carrying out another vicious attack on him.
Mr Deeley-Price’s body was found the following morning.
Ellitts pleaded guilty to his murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court, as well as three further robberies and an assault with intent to rob.
He was found guilty of raping two women in separate attacks and will be sentenced on February 12.
Detectives trawling through CCTV footage quickly established Ellitts had been responsible for a string of offences against vulnerable people in a violent four-day ‘rampage’ leading up to the murder.
He raped a woman who approached him asking for a spliff on St Peter’s Square in the early hours of May 26.
Ellitts led her to some bushes and after they had smoked together he raped her. She escaped from him and ran for assistance from a bouncer at a nearby nightclub.
On the same morning, he robbed a Good Samaritan who had tried to help him after noticing that he wasn’t wearing shoes.
The man took him back to his house to let him use his facilities and even gave him some footwear.
But Ellitts turned on him, and demanded his bank card and pin. The pair went to a bank in Church Street, Wednesfield, where the man handed him £180 after fearing for his safety.
Later that evening, a woman approached Ellitts as she thought he was homeless. Ellitts put a cloth around her mouth and took her to a secluded location where he raped her.
She managed to escape from him and bravely reported the rape to a shopkeeper. CCTV outside the shop showed a man matching the description of Ellitts.
The following day, on the evening of May 27, he carried out another robbery.
That victim was carrying a bag containing £60 cash and CCTV captured him grabbing it, causing the man to be dragged along the floor before Ellitts ran off.
Then on May 28, hours before he killed Mr Deeley-Price, Ellitts assaulted a man with the intention of robbing him in Market Square.
The man had withdrawn £60 from a cashpoint before he was approached by Ellitts who walked beside him.
He then threatened the man saying he would stab him if he refused to give him money.
Later that afternoon he targeted another victim on the Tettenhall Road kicking him to the floor, and putting a broken glass to his face. He then removed the victim’s Nike trainers from his feet.
West Midlands Police launched a manhunt and arrested Ellitts on May 30, after appealing to the local community for information. He refused to make any comment when officers questioned him.
Detective Inspector Damian Forrest said: ‘Ellitts is an extremely violent bully who carried out a number of robberies and two rapes all targeted against vulnerable people in Wolverhampton before he attacked Mr Deeley-Price leaving him to die in the street.
‘We are delighted with the verdict. Although this will never bring Roy back and it will not heal the family’s sense of loss, I hope securing convictions on all counts with sentencing to come will be justice.
‘I would also like to commend the bravery of the two women who Ellitts raped. They courageously came to court during the trial and gave evidence, securing convictions for all his cowardly crimes.’
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