Bio

Robert James Sartin was born in 1968 in England. Little is known about his early childhood and family life. There is limited information about his upbringing, school experiences, and relationships during this time. However, it is clear that he lived with his parents in a home in Blythe.

In the years leading up to a tragic event in his life, Robert worked at the Department of Social Security in Blythe. His job suggests that he was capable of holding a steady position in a public sector role. Reports indicate that he struggled with mental health issues, specifically schizophrenia. It is noted that Robert was diagnosed when he was around 22 years old.

On April 30, 1989, a significant event occurred that changed the course of his life. That morning, Robert took a double-barrelled shotgun from his parents’ home. This act led to a violent rampage in Monkseaton, which resulted in the death of one person and injuries to many others. After this incident, Robert was arrested the same day.

Due to his mental health condition, he was found unfit to stand trial. Instead of being tried in court, he was placed in Moss Side Special Hospital in Liverpool. During the court proceedings a year later, a jury confirmed his unfit status to plead based on expert testimony regarding his schizophrenia.

Murder Story

On April 30, 1989, Robert James Sartin committed a violent act using a double-barrelled shotgun in Monkseaton, England. The events began just before noon when Sartin, dressed in black, left his parents' home carrying a shotgun. He first approached Kenneth Mackintosh, a 43-year-old man who was delivering church leaflets. Sartin pointed the shotgun at Mackintosh and shot him, leaving him wounded on the ground. Mackintosh begged for his life, but Sartin replied that it was his day to die and shot him again.

After attacking Mackintosh, Sartin turned his attention to others in the vicinity. He shot at Judith Rhodes, a woman driving nearby, injuring her hand as she tried to escape. He continued his rampage, injuring several other individuals, including Lorraine Noble, Robert Wilson, and Brian Thomas, who was biking at the time. Sartin also shot at a family in their car, wounding both Peter and Jean Burgon as they drove to collect the Sunday papers.

The violence did not stop with them. Sartin shot at multiple people including a gardener, Jean Miller, hitting her in the stomach. He approached an elderly woman, Vera Burrows, and provocatively stated he was killing people but decided not to shoot her after assessing her age. After his attacks, Sartin was apprehended by police while waiting in his car at a local car park.

Sartin was arrested on the same day of the shootings. Later, he was declared unfit to stand trial due to schizophrenia and was held at Moss Side Special Hospital in Liverpool while legal proceedings were initiated. The community felt the impact of Sartin's actions, which left one person dead and multiple injured.