The Fordingbridge Murders: Stephenson’s Death Closes a Grim Chapter

On 20 April 2025, George Stephenson, the man behind one of the New Forest’s most horrific crimes, died in hospital at 73 while serving a life sentence at HMP Full Sutton.

His death, now under review by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, marked the end of a saga that began with the brutal 1986 murders at Burgate House in Fordingbridge.

For visitors drawn to this quiet Hampshire town’s charm, the case adds a sobering layer to its serene trails and pubs.

In Fordingbridge, on 1 September 1986, Stephenson, then 36, and brothers John and George Daly targeted Burgate House for a robbery. Stephenson, a former handyman there, had been sacked weeks earlier after violent disputes with his wife.

What began as a plan to steal shotguns escalated into unimaginable cruelty against the Cleaver family, who had just finished a dinner party.

Joseph Cleaver, 82, a retired publisher, his wife Hilda, also 82, their disabled son Tom, 47, his wife Wendy, 46, and live-in nurse Margaret Murphy, 70, were bound and gagged by the intruders wielding pickaxe handles.

Wearing rubber gloves, the gang dragged Joseph, Hilda, Tom, and Margaret upstairs, doused them in petrol, and set them alight while they were still conscious, enduring minutes of agony.

Wendy was taken to another room, where she faced repeated rape and torture before being strangled by John Daly. The family dog was kicked so severely its eye was dislodged. Melissa Cleaver, Tom’s daughter, was away that night, making her the sole family survivor.

In October 1987, Winchester Crown Court convicted Stephenson of four murders, rape, and robbery after a nine-hour jury deliberation. John Daly received life for five murders, while George Daly got 22 years for manslaughter, rape, and robbery.

Stephenson, with a 20-year record of 76 offences including burglaries and assaults, was given life with a 25-year minimum, extended to 35 years in 2001.

His 2023 parole bid was denied, with Melissa calling him a remorseless psychopath.

The Fordingbridge Murders: Stephenson’s Death Closes a Grim Chapter

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