Byron Griffin: Four men jailed over stabbing murder

The trial heard Fairbrother (top left) carried out the stabbing and was helped by Geary, Lewsley and Masterson

Four men have been jailed for murder after they "lay in wait with weapons and ambushed" a man they believed had caused a disturbance near their home.

Byron Griffin, 22, was found stabbed in Eyre's Garden in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, in July last year after a fight.

Derby Crown Court heard he had ran from his attackers but died in hospital.

Judge Nirmal Shant QC sentenced Dylan Geary, 22, Daniel Lewsley, 32, Jordan Fairbrother, 26, and Grant Masterson, 29, to life in prison.

All four men, originally from Ilkeston, had been found guilty after a trial earlier this month.

'Never-ending nightmare'

Prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones said Fairbrother stabbed Mr Griffin from East Leake, Nottinghamshire, twice with a kitchen knife he had taken from Lewsley's flat.

"He was the stabber. The other three participated in the unlawful killing," he added.

"They were not acting in self-defence or in the defence of another. They encouraged and assisted Fairbrother."

Mr Lloyd-Jones said the others were also armed with a machete, baseball bat and a baton.

"This was a pre-planned ambush and not a chance encounter," he added.

He said a statement from Mr Griffin's mother, Zoe Cooke, described how the family had struggled to cope with his death and how it had "ruined her life".

"She describes herself and her family as broken," he added. "And how the family are living a never-ending nightmare."

Byron Griffin was found injured in Ilkeston and died in hospital

Barristers for all four of the defendants said they had not intended for Mr Griffin to be killed and two of them had written letters of apology to his family and the judge.

The court heard Fairbrother had several previous convictions dating back to when he was 10 years old and had become a father last week.

His barrister, Ahmed Hossain QC, said: "It's a tragic outcome that [he] was responsible for that and that child will grow up without a father present."

The court heard all four men had waited in a car on 4 July for Mr Griffin to arrive with his friends before a fight began.

The violence lasted less than two minutes and resulted in Mr Griffin being stabbed in the arm and chest.

'Devastating loss'

Judge Shant QC said the group were "determined to deal with whoever was responsible" for some "activity" near their flats, believing it was Mr Griffin and his friends.

She said a "degree of planning" had gone into the attack as the men were all armed.

"In doing what you did that day you deprived a young man of his life, a family of a son, brother and grandson," she added.

"No words can do justice to describe their sense of devastating loss and emptiness."

She told Geary and Lewsley they would serve at least 25 years behind bars before being considered for release.

Masterson, who was already awaiting trial for possession of a Class B drug when Mr Griffin died, was told he would serve at least 26 years.

Fairbrother, who had been on licence for another conviction at the time of the stabbing, was told he would serve a minimum term of 27-and-a-half years.

Det Insp Mark Shaw, from Derbyshire Police, said: "Byron didn't die immediately, he was able to run away from the four, and one can only imagine how scared he must have been in those last few moments.

"The impact his murder has had on his family is clear from his mother Zoe's words and, while no sentence will ever bring Byron back, I hope that today brings some degree of closure for Zoe and the rest of the family."