Two men stabbed a 22-year-old man to death “to teach him a lesson” after he told someone he was going to rob them. Courtney McLeary took the knife and plunged it into the man’s chest. davis anderson Co-defendant David Francis tried to prevent a witness from leaving the room before entering.
Shocking CCTV footage played at their trial showed the much-loved “brightest star in the sky” looking stunned and pleading for help with fatal injuries in the reception area of the apartment block where he was attacked. While doing so McLeary, his partner and the third defendant, his partner Lisa Barlow, casually ran over him and fled the scene with the gun, which was never recovered.
Sentencing the five men for their involvement in the murder, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said: “In the early hours of 28 April 2023, a young man named Davices Anderson lost his life. You, Courtney McLeary, stabbed him in the chest with a knife.
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“He had other injuries, but this was the fatal injury. There is evidence that you, David Francis, did not leave the room when the events began, attempted to prevent a witness from leaving the room, and then participated.
“He was only 22 years old and from what we heard, he was a much-loved son, father, brother and uncle. You both shortened his life.
“This was a joint attack by two men to teach a man a lesson. “Afterwards, we clearly see that you McLeary and Barlow took away all the weapons used at the scene and nothing was found.”
The trial was told that on the night the victim was killed and McLeary went out to collect drugs and returned to the killer’s flat in High Cross Leys, off Huntingdon Street. While there, Mr Anderson told someone else inside that he was going to rob McLeary and Francis and was then attacked by the pair.
McLeary and Barlow then left the address with guns hidden under the woman’s salmon-coloured coat and went to the nearby home of fourth defendant Gregory Bailey and then to the address of fifth defendant Danny O’Keefe, who was harboring McLeary. for two delays before being arrested.
Prosecutor Andre Vout KC told the hearing that Mr Anderson was one of eight biological children of the same mother and also had three adopted siblings and a four-year-old daughter. He said he grew up in the care system.
Mr Vout said: “There was no evidence of any violence in the flat (before the stabbing). “He posed no threat to anyone.
“Mr McLeary flew across the room to attack Mr Anderson. After the stabbing, Mr McLeary was said to have been ‘watching with pleasure from the doorway’. “Lisa Barlow was hiding guns under her salmon jacket and went to Mr Bailey’s home address.”
Mr Anderson’s sister, Rhianna Anderson, bravely read her own victim impact statement to the court. In it she said: “I have lost my best friend and my sister. She loved children and will never have the chance to raise her daughter. I have lost a huge part of my life and nothing will ever be the same again. This is an unbearable pain that no one should ever feel. Davises’ heart was pure And he had so much love to give, his death left a void that can never be filled.”
The victim’s brother Kai said in his statement: “My brother and best friend was taken from me before I had the chance to say goodbye.” Another sister said in a statement: “I am heartbroken and the impact this has had on me and my family is devastating.”
Hayley Anderson, the victim’s mother, said in a statement: “On April 28, 2023, life changed forever. No one expects to bury their child but to lose him in such a horrific way is heartbreaking beyond measure. His soul was kind and bright and he is now the one who looks after us every day.” “The brightest star in the sky.”
McLeary, 54, and Francis, 61, of High Cross Leys. Swale Grove, Bingham, both were found guilty of murder. The jury also found O’Keefe, 50, of Keswick Court. Sneintonand Bailey, 51, of Comyn Gardens, St Ann’s, both 50, are guilty of assisting an offender in relation to the death of Mr Anderson.
Barlow, 45, of High Cross Leys, had pleaded guilty to assisting an offender before the jury was sworn in. McLeary was given a life sentence and told it would be 19 years before he could apply for parole.
His lawyer, Rossano Scamardella KC, said: “This must have been a spontaneous and quickly made decision rather than being planned. “This was a fast-paced and unpleasant incident (but) it was not a situation where there was any planning.
“Mr Anderson told at least one person in the flat that he intended to rob Francis and McLeary. He faces the frightening prospect of a life sentence with an element of long-term detention. “He will emerge from prison as an old man with what’s left of his life probably in ruins.”
Francis was also sentenced to life imprisonment and was told it would be 16 and a half years before he could apply for release. Laurie-Anne Power KC, mitigating, said: “There is no evidence of what David Francis did to be physically involved in the attack and (we say) he can be separated from Courtney McLeary. (As was said) he was left behind Mr Anderson He stayed behind with the intention of helping Mr. Anderson (that’s what we call) at the scene to prevent him from being held accountable to the police.
“Over the last 20 years David Francis has made many attempts to do something with his life. He owned a jewelry store and worked as a sound engineer in a baptist church. He later spent a significant period of time in Jamaica but returned to be closer to his family. “He suffered a severe stroke in 2022, leaving him with life-limiting conditions.”
The other three defendants were sentenced to two years in prison each.