Teenager jailed for life after drug house stabbing

Joel Lorell Simpson stabbed David Hunt nine times on a landing at a property in Hull

A teenage boy has been jailed for life for murder after repeatedly stabbing a man to death in a house used for drug dealing.

Joel Lorell Simpson, 16, of Alder Street in Huddersfield, stabbed David Hunt, 45, nine times on the landing of a house in Arundel Close, Hull on 19 June last year.

The defendant, who can be named after the judge lifted a reporting restriction, was part of a drugs line known as the Saskia Line, which operated from the house.

Passing a minimum jail term of 14 years at Hull Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Mrs Justice Foster said one of the stabs was "so forceful it [the knife] came out the other side" which made "his intent to kill him clear".

David Hunt was stabbed nine times by the teenage boy

Simpson had previously admitted stabbing Mr Hunt but claimed he had acted in self-defence.

Dean Dawkins, 20, of Cherry Nook Road, Huddersfield, whose DNA was found on the knife, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Dawkins and Simpson had previously admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Judge Foster, addressing Simpson in court, said his "ferocity was informed by anger" when he stabbed Mr Hunt, who had "previously robbed him" and "left him with debt to the Saskia drugs line".

Police officers in Arundel Close, Hull, after David Hunt was stabbed to death

On the night of the attack, Mr Hunt had gone to the house to buy drugs and climbed through a bathroom window after no one answered his knock, prosecutor Jamie Hill KC said.

The court heard Mr Hunt was "only in the house for 50 seconds" but was "repeatedly stabbed – nine times – on the upstairs landing" of the house and suffered fatal wounds to his neck, face, stomach, chest and arms.

Evidence included "blood splatters and stains" and "smears down the wall" of the landing, with CCTV footage which showed Mr Hunt "stagger backwards out of the front door, mortally wounded" before he collapsed, Mr Hill said.

'Traumatic nightmare'

Dealers Charlie Murray and her partner Elon Williams were accused of running the line from their home in Croydon, south London, in return for receiving free heroin.

Murray, 35, of Galpins Road, Thornton Heath, London, was previously found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and assisting an offender and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Williams, 31, of Rosemead Street, Hull, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Another man, Barry Leiper, 47, of Arundel Close, Hull, previously pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

Judge Foster ordered the forfeiture of all drugs, paraphernalia and phones seized in connection with the case.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Hunt's brother described the past eight months as a "traumatic nightmare".

Passing sentence to Simpson, Judge Foster said: "Drug dealing makes it worse, stabbing him nine times makes it worse, mocking him with rap songs also makes it a bit worse."

Senior investigating officer in the case, Det Ch Insp Jayne Goodens, said: "Whilst the sentences imposed cannot bring David back, I really hope that this provides his loved ones with a sense of comfort in knowing that those responsible for his death are being held accountable for their actions."

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