Chef who battered this father to death in row over £20 gets life sentence

A chef who bludgeoned his 78-year-old father to death with a hammer in a row over £20 has been caged for life.

Aston Lambert, 33, rained down the death blows on Alban Lambert as he lay defenceless on the floor at his flat on Longridge Road, Kensington on March 17 last year.

Doorbell cam footage captured Lambert pinning his father to the floor and hitting him more than eight times with the hammer, jurors heard.

The father was later found by emergency services with a 10kg dumbbell placed next to his head.

Aston, who lived at his father’s flat at the time, denied but was convicted of murder after a trial at Southwark crown court.

Lambert sat smirking and shaking his head throughout the sentencing as he was jailed for a minimum of 18 years.

The public gallery was filled with family members.

The court previously heard that Aston was banned from attending his father’s home after becoming increasingly violent when he lost his job as a chef in 2023.

Aston was also found guilty of breaching a restraining order.

An hour before the murder, father-of-four Mr Lambert told his long-time partner over the phone that he did not want his son in his flat.

Aston was overheard during the same phone call telling his dad: ‘Gimme £40, I want £40’.

The court heard the father went into cardiac arrest after the savage attack. When police arrived at the front door, which was open, they saw Alban laid on his back in the hallway

Ms Newell said police then saw Aston bare chested and a £20 note on the floor.

She said: ‘Aston had subjected his father to a sustained assault both verbally and physically that had taken place over a number of hours.

‘The trigger to that assault was money: Aston wanted money from his father.

‘He had asked for £40 but his father Alban only had £20 – which he was willing to give to him – but that it seems was not enough.

‘What started as a verbal disagreement turned physical.

‘This comprised forceful restraint, blows to his body, blows to his head and blows to his face with a hammer, nasal obstruction – pinching his nose for a sustained period of time – and a period of prolonged neck compression.

‘Most of which occurred while Alban lay defenceless on the floor and struggling to breathe.’

Ms Newell said that Aston’s assault was ‘born out of rage’.

The court heard he was a daily cannabis and crystal meth use before the murder, and that he suffered from psychosis.

She said: ‘It was part of a pattern of violent and abusive behaviour by Aston towards his father that had been getting worse over a number of months leading up to Alban’s death.’

The father, Alban – nicknamed ‘tallboy’ because he was 6’4 tall – had four grown up children at the time of his death, of which Aston was the youngest, Ms Newell said.

The court heard that when Aston lost his job as a chef, ‘he became aggressive and angry towards his father such that he was no longer welcome to stay at his father’s flat,’ Ms Newell said.

She continued: ‘This resulted in Aston spending periods of time on the sofas of friends and family – sometimes known as sofa-surfing.

‘However, when these arrangements broke down, he made his way back to Alban’s flat.’

Ms Newell said: ‘CCTV from a camera located in the communal hallway inside the flat and a ring doorbell located outside captured the final minutes of Alban’s life.

‘Seemingly unbeknownst to Aston Lambert, the camera captured him assaulting his father because at various times during the assault the front door of the flat was open.’

The court heard the footage showed Aston ‘over the top his father forcibly restraining him to the ground’ with his father ‘offering no resistance’.

Ms Newell said: ‘Aston Lambert strikes Alban Lambert twice to face and then appears to pinch Alban Lambert’s nose causing possible airway obstruction.

‘Alban is trying to move but Aston Lambert remains over the top of Alban Lambert restraining him to the ground.

‘Alban appears to be struggling to breathe – nevertheless, Aston Lambert remains on top of Alban.

‘The son is then seen to pick up a dumbbell from the ground in his right hand before the front door closes.’

Later, the same camera showed Aston ‘holding a hammer in his right hand. Aston Lambert remains over the top of Alban Lambert restraining him to the ground.

‘He repeatedly strikes Alban Lambert with the hammer (in excess of eight times) before getting up and stepping over Alban Lambert’s body.

‘Alban Lambert does not respond in response to being struck with hammer.

‘Aston Lambert then steps back over Alban Lambert’s body, and he walks into a room next to the lounge.

‘Aston Lambert then walks out of the room towards Alban Lambert’s body and throws a plastic figure onto Alban Lambert’s torso.’

When police arrived, Aston told them: ‘My dad assaulted me with a hammer, and he started to fight back, he tried to fight me back, I mean I’ve got injuries on my knee and whatnot.’

He added: ‘I had to fight back and I’ve never been rude to my dad.

‘That’s not my dad, that’s the second or third time I’ve had to say that…he has been possessed by something and I know that’s not my dad.’

The prosecutor said it was ‘not an isolated incident’ and ‘part of a pattern of violent and abusive behaviour by Aston towards his father.’

The court heard that Aston previously called police telling them ‘I might beat him (Alban) up’, and had previously threatened Alban with a cane to his head.

Aston has six previous convictions arising from eight offences, including for drug offences and criminal damage.

Sean Larkin KC, defending, said Aston ‘had heard voices and he went to see if his father had called him. He accepts there had been deteriorating behaviour which was part of his declining mental health.

‘Mr Lambert’s reaction at the point when he arrested was that he thought his father was still alive. He said to officers: ‘He is faking it.’

‘There was a lack of premeditation. He had been at that address for some hours before the incident blew up.

‘There is no suggestion that this was a crystal meth induced psychosis, but his mental health had been declining for months. He had been sectioned several times.

‘One of the very unfortunate aspects of this case was that he had just started work and the very next day he was due to be given accommodation.’

In a victim impact statement, Roger David, one of Alban’s sons, said: ‘It is difficult to find words to describe the layers of agony that our family have been trying to aggravate because of heinous, deadly actions of one of our family members.

‘We have experienced a constant swirl of pain. We are devastated. The emotional damage caused to us is exacerbated by the knowledge that Alban’s love for his family and friends was unconditional.

‘Alban tried to be the best father he could to Aston and was sometimes at a lost. Family meant everything to Alban.

‘Our hearts have been totally shattered by the loss. God is our strength.’

Alban’s daughter in law said he was a father figure to her, adding: ‘This tragedy has devastated my mum. After spending most of my life with Alban, she now has to wake up every day without the man she loved.

‘Our family are still in shock. Alban was a grandfather, and a great grandfather. Family gatherings feel incomplete without him.’

Passing sentencing, Judge Philip Bartle KC told Aston: ‘You expressed no remorse then or at any time since you have called your father. You subjected Alban to a sustained verbal and physical assault.

‘What started as a verbal disagreement became physical, and there came a time when Alban was lying on his back, laying defenceless on the floor, struggling to breath.

‘His death was a final act in the build up to a general resentment towards him.

‘After you lost your job, you were disrespectful. You were verbally aggressive, shouting and screaming. You argued with him, but he did not argue with you. He was very scared of you.

‘You took advantage of his good nature and his love for you.

‘As a result of your behaviour towards him, he would not talk because you would just bite his head off.’

‘Alban’s absence has been felt. He was a peaceful man, with a vibrant, tall personality to match.’

In a tribute, Alban’s family said: ‘Mr Alban Lambert was deeply loved by all who knew him, in particular, his family and friends.

‘He brought love and laughter to all around him. It is therefore immensely sad to find ourselves trying to comprehend the senseless tragic act which resulted in the loss of his life.

‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who’s been supporting us throughout this difficult time. We would also like to say thank you to the medics who tried to save his life, the legal team and the police.

‘We are devastated by the loss of our Alban who was many things to many people – he was a father, grandfather, stepfather, brother, uncle, cousin, partner friend.

‘We kindly ask for privacy to process and grieve the loss of our dear Alban.’

Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command led the investigation and said:

‘The motivation for Aston Lambert’s attack appears to have been money. He went to his father’s flat and demanded cash but when Alban told him he didn’t have this, a violent rage took over leading to this murderous act.

‘Alban Lambert was a frail and defenceless man, killed in his own home by someone he should have felt safe to be with.

‘Alban was a caring father who was loved by his children. The family have been ripped apart by the actions of Aston Lambert and I hope that the conclusion of the trial allows them the opportunity to begin to move forward.’