Teen gets life term for dad-of-three's murder

Jack Lawson was handed an 18-year prison sentence for the murder of 28-year-old Craig Yorke

A teenager who murdered a father-of-three in a street stabbing has been given a life sentence.

Craig Yorke was stabbed three times in the early hours of 14 December last year, in Eldon Lane, near Bishop Auckland, and died a short time later.

Jack Lawson, 18, from Willington in County Durham, was found guilty of his murder in July following a seven-week trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Sentencing him to a minimum term of 18 years custody, Mr Justice Soole said Lawson had not driven to the scene to attack Mr Yorke but to have a "one-to-one fist fight" with another man.

He said Lawson's intent was to cause "serious harm rather than to kill".

Evidence from CCTV and a video on Lawson's phone showed he had driven to the scene of the attack with a knife in his lap.

Lawson was 17 years old at the time of the stabbing and due to his age will start his minimum-length prison term in youth detention.

Craig Yorke was described by his family as having a "heart of gold"

In a victim impact statement, Mr Yorke's family said the 28-year-old had a "heart of gold" and "always put others before himself".

They said life had been "incredibly painful" since his murder.

The sentence took into account Lawson's age as well as his maturity at the time of the attack, the fact he had no previous convictions and the "terrible remorse" he had shown, particularly regarding the impact on the victim's three children.

Due to the 295 days already spent on remand in custody, Lawson will serve 17 years and 70 days in jail before being eligible to apply for parole.

His sentence was detention at His Majesty's pleasure, which is a mandatory life sentence for youths convicted of murder with a minimum term before parole eligibility set by the judge.