Lee Farrington death: Killer jailed over 'misplaced revenge' stabbing

Connor Reece was described by police as a "dangerous individual" who unleashed a "savage and brutal attack"

A man convicted of murdering an "innocent" father-of-two who police said was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time" has been jailed.

Connor Reece, 24, stabbed Lee Farrington, 29, after demanding another man's details at a home in Lancaster in August 2019.

Reece, of Tweedale Street in Rochdale, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years at Preston Crown Court.

Det Ch Insp Lee Wilson described the killing as "wholly misplaced revenge".

Reece arrived at the house in Tarnsyke Road on the evening of 27 August.

'Innocent man'

After asking the whereabouts of another man, he then stabbed Mr Farrington in the leg and fled. The victim later died in hospital.

Reece then travelled to a hotel in Morecambe with his girlfriend Danielle McCreery, 28, before heading to Manchester, where they were helped by McCreery's father, Wayne McCreery, the court heard.

Lee Farrington died in hospital after being stabbed in the leg

Reece denied murder but was convicted following a trial.

Wayne McCreery, 47, of St Andrew's Road, Manchester, and Danielle McCreery, of no fixed address, were convicted of perverting the course of justice.

They were each jailed for two years and four months.

Wayne McCreery and Danielle McCreery were convicted of perverting the course of justice

Lancashire Police said Mr Farrington was an "innocent man" and the "savage" attack was based on a "dubious sense of revenge".

Det Ch Insp Wilson said Reece was "clearly a dangerous individual".

In a statement, Mr Farrington's family said: "We have a huge void that can never be filled and Lee's children will grow up without him because of that man.

"Lee would have been 30 last week. His son will be four next month and it breaks our heart that Lee isn't there for him or his eldest son."