A judge has praised the 'thorough and painstaking' police investigation which nailed three teen thugs who murdered 'the wrong man' after hijacking a dispute which had nothing to do with them.
Kane Adamson, 18, Joshua Prescott, 19, and Ben Dawber, 17, were hunting down a man who had just punched someone outside a bar in Tyldesley but then launched a sickening knife attack on the wrong person.
Thomas Williamson, 30, a man with mental health problems who was out for a walk to clear his head at the time, suffered a series of fatal stab wounds, including one that penetrated his heart and lung. He died at the scene.
READ MORE: 'Skeletal remains' found after housing association staff force their way into home
After the three killers were handed life sentences last week, the judge who jailed them and Thomas' mum heaped praise on the detectives who trawled through CCTV and phone records to identify the culprits and bring them to justice.
Judge Maurice Greene recommended the detectives and civilian workers who worked on the investigation for commendations.
He said in court: "This was a thorough and painstaking investigation that undoubtedly required many, many hundreds of hours of officers looking at CCTV, phone logs and messages and then producing a large amount of documentary evidence in order to present this case.
"It's quite clear that because of that time and effort they spent, that's what led to the identification of the defendants and ultimately resulted in this case."
After the sentencing hearing, Thomas's mother, Sue Williamson, said: "Firstly I want to thank the police and the community of Tyldesley who have helped get justice for Tom and supported us through the most difficult time in our lives.
"It’s been so hard every day since losing Tom and it's something no parent should ever have to experience. I miss Tom so much every day - he was always there to ask me how my day had been, to send me off to work with a 'have a good day', and to give me a hug. There’s a hole in my life with him gone, that can never be filled, and our home is empty without him.
"Even now, knowing he’s gone, when I hear everyday sounds and creaks of the now-empty house coming from upstairs at home, my first thought is of Tom, and thinking that he’s going to come downstairs. It hurts afresh every time I then have to acknowledge that he won’t.
"Tom was loving, kind and funny, and he always knew how to lift my spirits and make me laugh. He was my son, but he was my friend as well, and he was also very close to his dad David and his younger sister Sarah."
Jailing them for life, Judge Greene told the defendants: "The tragedy is that Thomas Williamson was the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time."
On the night of Mr Williamson's murder on September 25, 2021, his three attackers had been looking for another man, David Shuttleworth, who had earlier that night punched another man, Jake Dinning. The trial heard Mr Shuttleworth punched Mr Dinning as he thought the latter had been 'in dispute' with his girlfriend outside Lounge Bar in Tyldesley shortly after 1am.
At the same time the three defendants, said to have been drinking vodka and inhaling nitrous oxide balloons and 'looking for trouble', were driving by the Castle Street bar, and they 'took the opportunity to involve themselves in the brewing trouble', prosecutor Jason Pitter KC told the trial.
When they pulled up, Mr Shuttleworth ran off as he believed the three men in the Chevrolet Kalos on false plates were 'associates' of the man he had just punched.
"That was too good an opportunity for the defendants to miss," said Mr Pitter, who added the men 'instructed' a 'reluctant' Mr Dinning to get into the vehicle, replacing a fourth occupant who was left on the street.
The car drove around the centre of Tyldesley 'on the hunt for Mr Shuttleworth' who hid in a nearby street, Cotton Close. At the same time, Thomas Williamson appeared and the driver, Dawber, was said to have asked 'is that him?'.
One of the occupants mistakenly replied 'yeah that's him' and the attack began.
Mr Williamson died of multiple stab wounds. One stab wound entered his neck and cut into a major vein while another to his chest penetrated his lung and heart.
He had also suffered bruising to his face and cuts to his hands which suggested he had tried to defend himself.
The jurors heard the victim was 'someone with a long history of mental illness which included self-harming' - the day before his fatal attack he had suffered 'another mental health crisis' where he had been drinking cider and Jack Daniels, and had threatened to take his own life.
After his mood had deteriorated, his mother recalled him punching his wardrobe before leaving the house, possibly with a kitchen knife and the bottle of Jack Daniels.
Concerned, his mother called police and the court heard the officers who had been dispatched to search for Thomas found him bleeding to death in a street near his home.
Mrs Williamson, in a victim impact statement read out in court, told the court that, a few months before his death, Thomas had bought a puppy who he named Bandit and he had started going to the gym, which helped with his struggles with mental health.
Mrs Williamson went on that 'it really upset me' when she heard Dawber claim in his evidence that he had acted in self-defence, which she said 'just didn't ring true'. She pointed to evidence from a witness who had heard someone saying: "Just let me apologise."
"Given the chance, he would just have walked away but he was never given that chance," said Mrs Williamson, adding that her son had simply gone out to 'clear his head' as he had done on other occasions. The attackers had 'shown no remorse'.
Two of the defendants, Dawber and Adamson, admitted an attempted robbery earlier that night. Dawber, then 16, had also been part of a robbery in Tyldesely when he and an accomplice threatened a man with a machete and kicked him for his mobile phone and cash on August 4, 2021, the month before the murder. On the same night, Dawber also robbed a pizza delivery driver at knife-point for his wallet. He repeatedly punched the driver and made off in his car.
Two months after the murder, on November 17, while he was on police bail over the killing, Dawber robbed another delivery driver, this time in Leigh.
Judge Greene handed all three defendants detention for life. He told Dawber he must serve a minimum 20 years behind bars before he becomes eligible for parole. Adamson, who has 12 sets of previous convictions for 22 offences including robbery, was told he must serve a minimum 18 years. The court heard he had been involved in the disposal of the car and other items following the murder.
Prescott, who had no previous convictions for violence, must serve at least 17 years in custody.
Adamson, of no fixed abode, now 19, Prescott, of Walter Street in Leigh, now 20 and Dawber, of no fixed abode, now 19, all denied murder. Dawber also admitted three counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicola McCulloch, among the investigators praised by the judge, said: "The thoughts of the investigation team remain with Thomas’s family who have lost a beloved son and brother in the most violent and cruel circumstances.
"They are understandably devastated by the loss and whilst the sentencing won’t bring Thomas back, I hope it brings some comfort to know that justice has been done.
"This was a complex investigation, during which GMP detectives pursued extensive lines of inquiry and worked closely with CPS lawyer Nicky Moore to ultimately secure a charge and conviction for Thomas’s murder.
"I would like to thank the courage of the witnesses who came forward and helped obtain justice for Thomas and his family. I am also grateful to the communities of Tyldesley, Atherton and Leigh who stepped forward to support the police and Thomas’ family.
"Thomas was vulnerable when he left his home that night and he did nothing to provoke such senseless violence that robbed him of his life. It was a random attack which has understandably shocked the local community.
“It’s clear from events that Dawber, Adamson and Prescott are menacing and highly aggressive individuals. Thomas was not the man they were seeking that night, but they launched a vicious attack which needlessly robbed Thomas of his life.
“I am pleased these three men are now safely behind bars and I hope they will use their time in prison to think on the pain and heartbreak they have brought to a loving family.”
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Smuggler thought he'd come up with the perfect hiding place for semi-automatic gun - until he was caught
- 'I was robbed at knifepoint in Selfridges'
- 'The beginning of the end of the authentic Northern Quarter?' The Oi Polloi story
- Drone footage captures dramatic moment drug gang responsible for smuggling millions of pounds-worth of Class As was busted
- The charming village with an alpine feel two hours from Greater Manchester
