A son found guilty of manslaughter begged his mother not to tell police about his crime because he was terrified his children would be taken away from him.
Gareth Leach, had hoped to hide his part in the death of 45-year-old Dean Williamson last October.
However, the 28-year-old and his brother Kyle Martin, 22, were both this week found guilty of manslaughter after a three week-long trial at court.
Evidence was provided to suggest that the brothers had killed Williamson following an argument about a stolen disability scooter. But Leach told his mum his brother should take the fall alone.
The brothers attacked Williamson at around 1pm on Tuesday 5 October 2021, according to Yorkshire Live. They assaulted him as they suspected him of stealing their mother’s mobility scooter six days earlier.
At Sheffield Crown Court, prosecutor Mr Glenser said CCTV footage showed Williamson, from Mexborough taking the mobility scooter, and then Sara Martin taking it back.
On October 5, Mr Glenser said Leach was at his mother’s making a secure unit for the scooter and saw Williamson outside his mother’s house. The prosecutor said: “Later, his brother arrived on his bike and after a few minutes Mr Martin started to run to Dean Williamson and Mr Leach followed him.
“There was a confrontation on the porch. It only lasted a few seconds and the Crown say they seriously assaulted Dean Williamson and he died as a result of the injuries they inflicted.”
Soon after the confrontation, Leach got into his car and his dashcam footage captured a number of conversations he had.
Mr Glenser said the first conversation took place between him and his partner, Jessica Hammond. The prosecutor told the court that the dashcam footage featured Leach. In the footage, a man can be heard saying: “I’ve just killed him. Me and Kyle.
“We left him with broken ribs. I had to pull Kyle off him before he killed him. I threatened him and Kyle came and said, ‘where is he?’ He went and shouted, “I don’t know what came over me...killed him. I had to get Kyle off, I thought he was going to kill him, literally kill him.
“I didn’t put my fists on him so there’s no evidence... told me he’d bought it off someone. I said, ‘I have got you on CCTV.’ I told you didn’t I, I told you. I knew it was a bad idea going today.”
During another phone call caught on the dashcam footage, the prosecution say Ms Martin can be heard telling Mr Leach she saw emergency services carrying out CPR on Williamson.
In that footage, the woman can be heard saying: “I’ve just called Kyle and he said if you’re not comfortable just tell them.”
Leach can then be heard saying, “Tell them it’s Kyle not me. I’ve got kids mum. I’m going to lose my kids, I’m going to lose everything. You have got to tell Kyle not to mention me.”
Further dashcam footage overheard Leach talking to his child, Mr Glenser said. In the footage, a man can be heard saying he’s had a “bad day” and a “panic attack.”
He said: “Uncle Kyle beat someone up, that man who robbed nanny’s scooter. He beat them up proper. The police might come and see me but I haven’t done anything wrong.
“I think they’ll want to know the ins and outs of it and want to know I didn’t have a part in it too because I didn’t, I just stopped him.”
During the trial, the court heard how Leach denied murder during his police interview and claimed that he found his brother assaulting Dean and tried to stop him causing further injury.
Leach’s mother Sara Martin, 50, of Town Lane, Greasbrough, provided officers with fake accounts of Leach’s involvement both stating that he had only tried to prevent the attack on Dean, and how he was upset, sickened and frightened by what he had seen his brother do.
Sara Martin and Leach’s girlfriend, Jessica Hammond, 27, of Brameld Road, Swinton, were charged with perverting the course of justice.
Sara Martin admitted perverting the course of justice at previous court appearance on 21 February 2022.
Jessica Hammond was found not guilty at trial for her involvement.
Both men denied murder. They were found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. Leach, Kyle Martin and Sara Martin will be sentenced at a later date.
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