A 43-year-old man - who previously appeared in a famous Milk Marketing Board advert - has been jailed for murder.
Kevin Spaine was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday. He had previously pled guilty to manslaughter.
Spaine appeared in a famous Milk Marketing Board advert when he was a boy, delivering the famous line “Accrington Stanley - who are they?” Defended by John Harrison KC in court, he was described as a “very promising young footballer” with a “promising future.”
Learoy Venner, 53, was discovered with head injuries in a property in the Anfield area of Liverpool - at around 3pm on 27 July 2022. Emergency services attended, but he later passed away in hospital.
A post-mortem concluded that the 53-year-old suffered “multiple forceful blows” which resulted in a brain injury described as “the sort of trauma usually associated with a car crash or a fall from height.”
A trial previously heard that Mr Venner had been living at the address temporarily prior to his murder and had been sleeping on a camp bed in the lounge. Alan Kent KC described the property as “being used as a drug den”, with Mr Spaine amongst its frequent visitors.
Mr Venner was fatally assaulted by Mr Spaine after he refused to let him into the flat. Upon returning, tenant Mark Kelly let the assailant in before leaving again to top up the electricity meter.
It was then that Mr Venner was attacked, left lying unconscious whilst his murderer left to change his clothes. Later that evening, he was arrested on Edge Lane in Liverpool, telling officers “That’s a big charge, what do you mean murder?”
“This defendant’s life has been ruined and dominated by the abuse of illegal drugs. He has a very long history of criminal offending”, Mr Harrison said.
“We know he’s been in this situation for 20 years or more, but he wasn’t always like that. Mr Spaine was a very promising young footballer, and he appeared in a very famous advertisement on the television - an advert for milk involving Accrington Stanley”, Mr Harrison said.
“Shortly afterwards, he sinks into a life of criminality. Twenty years later, he is convicted of murder”, he added.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Venner was described by his family as having a “beautiful personality.” The aftermath of his death and the legal process was such a high level of “intensity” that not all of his loved ones were able to be present at Tuesday’s hearing.
"Learning of the tragic passing of our beloved brother Learoy has been difficult for us as a family to comprehend”, the statement read.
"Learoy had a beautiful personality and such a loving, gentle soul. We loved Learoy so much, we will forever hold him close and dearly to our hearts, minds and soul for the rest of our lives.
"Our lives are in ruins, however we are full of gratitude for the Prosecuting Team and the Family Liaison Team, who have fully supported us along the agony and has better positioned us to deal with the effects.
"As the case comes to a close we can only hope we might now be able to substance the burden of losing our brother."
