Cannibal-obsessed chef jailed for two and a half years over 'kill list' and graves

Jacob Power, 22, a Berkshire-based chef, was sentenced to two and a half years in custody after pleading guilty to four counts of burglary, three counts of criminal damage, and one count each of attempted burglary and possession of cannabis at Reading Crown Court on August 4, according to court records and local coverage.

Power's offences began with a string of break-ins at The White Hart Pub in Hamstead Marshall, Berkshire, in November 2024. CCTV footage captured him on November 7 entering the pub with a backpack and spray-painting CCTV cameras to disable them, then stealing the recording box, room keys and other occupants' belongings, including money, jewellery, and cigarettes.

A week later, he returned to the same property, but no one was present and he took more room keys. On November 28, he attempted to gain access to the flat above the pub but failed, leaving a damaged door lock in his wake.

Months later, in February, police were called to Power's home for a welfare check and found a disturbing scene: a cache of weapons including knives, air pistols, ammunition, a Samurai sword, duct tape, rope, chains and masks. Officers also recovered a kill list and notebooks inscribed with references to the White Hart and other massacre plans, along with notes describing dismemberment and body-part displays and graves he had dug in woodland behind his house.

Power had been referred to mental health services by his GP after increasing thoughts of torturing and murdering people. He told clinicians these were thoughts rather than a plan, and he claimed he would not act on them, though he admitted taking part of a deer carcass home to have it near me.

During the trial, prosecutors said Power had drafted a detailed kill list describing how he would break into the White Hart to rob, torture and murder residents, with plans for a kill room lined with plastic sheeting and bags for body parts. Police later found graves behind his home that matched his macabre notes.

Officers linked his jacket, trainers and gloves to the CCTV footage, and he was re-arrested on February 27 and charged with the offences. He was detained under the Mental Health Act after the welfare check and later brought to court to face the charges.

The sentencing judge noted that the number and nature of the offences and the context in which they were carried out required immediate custody, stating that a non-immediate custodial sentence would be inappropriate given the unique circumstances of the case. The judge also noted that one charge of attempted murder had not been pursued because the family were not at the property at the time, legally making the acts preparatory rather than imminent danger.

Detective Constable Isabelle Denis of Berkshire West CID said Power's behaviour was disturbing in light of what was found at his home, and she emphasized the commitment of investigators to protecting the public and pursuing justice.

Power had been employed as a chef at The Craven Arms in Enborne at the time of the offences, and mental health professionals had engaged with him during treatment, providing authorities with information about potential risk to the public. He now faces the total time dictated by the court's ruling and will serve the immediate custodial sentence.

The case highlights concerns about individuals who express violent fantasies and the importance of timely welfare checks and intervention when such threats are disclosed to clinicians and police.