A man who violently assaulted an elderly man in Weymouth has pleaded guilty in court to his murder following a detailed investigation by detectives.
Jake Saunders, aged 19 and of Weymouth, pleaded guilty to the murder of 75-year-old Anthony Jacob – also of Weymouth – when he attended Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 28 March 2025.
He will return to court to be sentenced on Monday, 19 May 2025.
The charges related to a serious assault in Abbotsbury Road, which was reported to officers at 8.12pm on Tuesday, 10 December 2024.
During the evening, Saunders was observed by Anthony Jacob damaging a white VW Transporter van parked on a driveway. When challenged, Saunders assaulted the victim, knocking him to the floor before repeatedly kicking and stamping on his head. Saunders reportedly left the scene shortly afterwards.
Anthony Jacob was taken to hospital for treatment to serious head and facial injuries.
Following a thorough search of the area by officers, Saunders was located in Newstead Road and arrested.
He assaulted three police officers while in custody.
A detailed investigation ensued – including multiple witness statements and a forensic examination of Saunders’ clothing – which led to him being charged with attempted murder before first appearing at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 13 December 2024.
Anthony, known to his family as Tony and to many of his friends as Jake, sadly died from his injuries on Thursday, 19 December 2024, and Saunders was subsequently charged with his murder.
During his appearance at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 28 March 2025, Saunders also pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker and two counts of criminal damage.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), said: “The sad death of Anthony Jacob came as a result of a senseless and unprovoked attack in which the offender and the victim did not know one another.
“Anthony tried to reason with Jake Saunders when he observed him damaging someone else’s property, and his selfless act of bravery and public duty cost him his life.
“The investigation team has worked extensively over the past few months to gather all the evidence available to them so that Saunders could be brought before the courts to face justice for his violent actions.
“Our highly trained family liaison officers have supported Anthony’s family during this traumatic time, and our thoughts remain with them.
“We fully understand that this incident would have had a significant impact on the community of Weymouth, and I hope that this case demonstrates that we will do everything we can to ensure that offenders are identified and held accountable for their crimes.”
