A former 'promising young footballer' who said the iconic "Accrington Stanley, who are they?" line in a 1980s milk advert has been jailed for murder. Kevin Spaine battered Learoy Venner to death at a flat.
Spaine, 43, was found guilty on Tuesday (February 21) of the murder of Mr Venner, who was repeatedly punched and kicked in a brutal assault. On Wednesday he was jailed for for life with a minimum term of 18 years.
John Harrison KC, appearing on behalf of the killer, told the court during his sentencing that his client was formerly a "very promising young footballer". He told how he starred in the famous television ad for the Milk Marketing Board in 1989.
Spaine's role in the TV advert had until now been incorrectly credited to "Kevin Staine". He was one of two boys seen in the clip, clad in Liverpool FC kits, the Liverpool Echo reports.
But he himself was only briefly sighted on camera, walking through the shot before the camera focused on his co-star Carl Rice standing beside a fridge in the kitchen. A young Mr Rice has gone on to have a successful career on screen but Spaine's life spiralled into one of crime and drugs.
Spaine made around 40 appearances before the courts for nearly 100 offences - ultimately culminating in Mr Venner's murder. Since 1999, his criminal record includes convictions for dealing heroin and crack cocaine, wounding and assault with intent to rob.
In the advert the defendant is heard to ask "have you got any lemonade?", to which the other junior footballer replies: "If you want." As he then pours himself a glass of milk, Spaine reacts by saying: "Milk? Eurgh."
His friend tells him: "It's what Ian Rush drinks. He said if I drink lots of milk, when I grow up I'm going to be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley." Spaine then delivered the familiar line "Accrington Stanley, who are they?", to which his co-star responded with "exactly".
Mr Harrison said in his mitigation: "This defendant’s life has been ruined and dominated by the abuse of illegal drugs. He has a very long history of criminal offending. 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. He played a part in that advertisement. At an age of 10 or 12, or however old he was, he had a promising future.
“Shortly afterwards, he sinks into a life of criminality. Twenty years later, he is convicted of murder. It’s not an unfamiliar spiral to the court, but it is a tragic one. Of course, he respects the jury’s verdict.”
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A trial previously heard that Mr Venner had been living at the address temporarily at the time of the incident on July 27 2022, sleeping on a camp bed in the lounge. Alan Kent KC, prosecuting, described how the apartment was "being used as a drug den", with Spaine among its frequent visitors.
But the 43-year-old was refused entry by the victim shortly after midday on the day in question. He was eventually let in by returning tenant Mark Kelly, who then left again in order to top up the electricity meter.
It was at this point that Mr Venner was fatally assaulted, with Spaine leaving him lying unconscious and going to his mum's house to change his clothes afterwards. He was arrested on suspicion of murder on Edge Lane that evening, at which point he responded: "That's a big charge, what do you mean murder?"
Under interview with detectives, Spaine later stated that Mr Venner had "taken two swings at him" and he had returned four or five blows "in self-defence". A post-mortem investigation revealed that he had suffered "multiple forceful blows", causing a brain injury - "the sort of trauma usually associated with a car crash or a fall from height".
Sentencing him, Judge Brian Cummings KC said: "Only you will know the detail of what happened in the flat at that time. You have shown yourself to be a shocking liar. I am sure there was no element of self-defence in anything you did to Leroy Venner. What possible threat could he have presented to you?
"I am sure you struck him multiple heavy punches to the face and then finished your attack by kicking him, probably more than once and with force. What precisely caused you to want to do all of this will never be known to anyone other than yourself.
"You were very insistent of wanting to get into the flat. I am sure your interest in gaining entry to the flat was because you hoped to get either drugs or money - probably, you were disappointed in that hope.
"I do not find this was a murder for gain. However I am sure when you gained access to the flat, having been kept hanging around, those things led you to launch a ferocious attack upon him. He had no chance of escaping you or fighting you off. You attacked and killed a man whom you knew to be weak and in poor health.
"I accept that the eruption of violence occurred spontaneously, albeit you were in an agitated state having regard to the fact you’d been kept waiting outside. You left him unconscious on his back and breathing in his own blood for something like half an hour before he actually died."
