Pair who 'laughed and joked' after fatal stabbing jailed for life
Two men have been jailed for life for fatally stabbing a man during a fight in a car park in South Yorkshire.Lee Davies, 38, died after being stabbed during the altercation on Drummond Street, Rotherham, on 8 June 2024.At Sheffield Crown Court, Simon Welsh, 38, of no fixed address, was sentenced to a minimum of least 22 years in prison. Jake Shaw, 27, of Canklow Road, Rotherham, was given a minimum term of 17 years.In a statement, Mr Davies' family said: "He will be missed beyond measure, especially by his two young children who now have to grow up and navigate life without a father."
Mr Davies was found in a critical condition by emergency crews and later died in hospital. CCTV footage captured a group of people walking away from Mr Davies, from Rotherham, following the altercation with him.Det Ch Insp Benjamin Wood described the incident as "horrendous"."Welsh and Shaw showed brutality and a lack of remorse, laughing and joking as they made their way away from the scene of this tragic incident," he said.
South Yorkshire Police thanked those who shared information with the police and the "heroic" witnesses who gave evidence in court.The force said a discarded bodywarmer, containing a receipt with Welsh's name on, also proved to be key evidence. Mr Davies' family said the loss had taken an "enormous toll" on them."We feel that justice has been served, and we welcome the guilty verdict placed upon the defendants," they added.
Welsh and Shaw were found guilty of murder after a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court in April.A third man, Martin Shaw, was found not guilty of murder. Welsh was also convicted of wounding for a separate incident in November 2023.He was handed a four-year jail term to run concurrently to his life sentence.
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