escalating violence in our community Become a member of the Sensible Sentencing Trust

Mouseover links for full page descriptions

Offender Databases Robert Foothead

Robert Foothead

Alias

.

Offences

Murder of Christchurch couple John Foy and Jill Caldwell in September 1989
Over 20 bullets were found in their bodies

Victims

John Foy
Jill Caldwell

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1959

Current Location

unknown

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to eleven years in 1990

Background
From the Christchurch Press 16th November 1989
Overcome by anger, Robert John Foothead fired 16 shots in the lounge of a neighbour's house and killed two occupants, Christchurch District Court was told today. Opening the Crown's case at a preliminary hearing at which the 31 year old fitter and turner is charged with murdering radio journalist John Foy, 34, and former air hostess Jill Pattison Cardwell, 39, prosecutor Graham Pankhurst said the shots were fired at close range. Most, if not all, struck Mr Foy and Ms cardwell, who died almost immediately.

The shooting took place at a house in Wainoni on september 18th. It was evident the pair were seated on a divan or sofa and were shot while they were in that position, Mr Pankhurst said. Their bodies were found on the divan in the lounge of the Pembroke Street house occupied by Ms Cardwell.

Police went to the house after being approached by a yound man about 11:15 PM. The man told two constables attending another incident that he had just shot two people with the rifle in his car. The young man was Foothead, who said he was going to a Police Station to report the shooting when he came upon the constables.

Foothead lived in a caravan on his parents Pembroke Street property. The property was next to that of Ms Cardwell. Mr Pankhurst said Mr Foy was friendly with Ms Cardwell and at one stage they lived together. Mr Foy had been away from Christchurch for some time and was living in Wellington.

However, he and Ms Cardwell remained friendly and he was obviously fond of her five year old son. Mr Foy flew from Wellington the day of the shooting to see Ms Cardwell. Foothead, as a neighbour, was also friendly with Ms Cardwell. That friendship appeared to be at it's strongest about the beginning of this year.

Foothead told Police he went to Ms Cardwell's house about 10 PM but she told him she did not want him to come in, obviously because Mr Foy was there. Aware of Mr Foy's presence, Foothead became upset and returned to his caravan where he brooded about events, consumed a small amount of red wine from a cask and loaded about 20 rounds of ammunition into a rifle.

He returned to Ms Cardwell's house about 11 PM and an altercation ensued. Inside the house, with Mr foy and Ms cardwell seated on the sofa, Foothead was trying to communicate with Ms Cardwell, Mr Pankhurst said.

However he thought she was tring to use his words to manipulate him, and resenting Mr Foy's ocassional intrusions into the conversation, he became increasingly angry. "It was in that background that the shots were fired," said Mr Pankhurst.

---

Corrections and Additional Information
We endeavour to make this database as accurate as possible, but we are at the mercy of whatever information we can find in various online and offline archives. We rely on the public - that is, people like you - to fill in the gaps that we cannot. If you wish to submit additional information or a correction to this file CLICK HERE . Privacy: Trust policy is that all sources are treated as strictly confidential unless we are explicitly told otherwise. If you wish to see a file removed from this database certain conditions must be met by the offender set out HERE Note that this does NOT apply for those that are the primary offender in a murder, rape, or any sexual offending involving minors. We do not enter into correspondence regarding the guilt/innocence of offenders. Such correspondence is not responded to, especially if the offender concerned has a number of prior convictions

Back to Top