Gang murdered man with hammer in revenge attack

Two Liverpool men have been jailed for their roles in brutal killing

Gang murdered man with hammer in revenge attack

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Four men have been jailed for a total of 85 years for the revenge killing of John Hutchinson.

Police were called to a flat on Scorton Avenue, Blackpool, at around 6.50pm on Monday, April 10. It was reported a group of men, carrying a hammer, metal bar and a wooden pole, had entered a flat and assaulted Mr Hutchinson before running off.

The 44-year-old later suffered a suspected cardiac arrest and later died, at around 9.10pm. Following a Home Office post-mortem examination, it was established he had died from a ruptured spleen which had caused fatal internal bleeding.

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The bleeding had been caused by a hammer blow which had struck with considerable force and had fractured a rib and perforated the spleen. A court heard the assault on Mr Hutchinson was a revenge attack after he and another man stole a large quantity of drugs earlier the same day from the home address of a man called Daniel Cunningham.

After a trial at Preston Crown Court, four men were unanimously convicted by a jury. Two men from the Merseyside area were found guilty of murder.

Lee Clarke, Greenall Court, Prescot, was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 27 years. He was also given a nine-year concurrent sentence for drug offences.

David Bond, Oaklands Avenue, Liverpool was found guilty of murder. He was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years. He was also jailed for six months concurrent for drug offences.

Daniel Cunningham, Tarnbrook Drive, Blackpool was found guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 years for this offence and six years concurrent and two years consecutive for drug offences. And Darren McCabe, of Warwick Road, Blackpool was convicted of manslaughter. He was jailed for 16 years.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, of the Force Major Investigation Team (FMIT) said: "First and foremost my thoughts today are with John Hutchinson’s family and friends who lost a loved one in brutal circumstances. I welcome these sentences and I hope that they provide some sense that justice has been served."

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