Man admits Deeside 'teen drugs dispute' murder
- Published
Matthew Cassidy died after the attack in Connah's Quay
A man accused of stabbing a teenager to death in a dispute over the sale of drugs has pleaded guilty to murder during a trial.
Matthew Cassidy, 19, from Merseyside, died after being stabbed nine times in the stairwell of a block of flats in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, last May.
David Woods, 20, from Liverpool, had denied murder but changed his plea during the trial at Mold Crown Court.
A second man, Leslie Baines, 48, from Deeside, denies murder.
The court had heard evidence of a secret recording of Woods telling his family he was responsible for killing Mr Cassidy, of Huyton, Knowsley.
Mr Justice Clive Lewis directed the jury to return a formal guilty verdict given the change of plea.
He told Woods he would be sentenced for that offence, and an offence of perverting the course of justice, which he had admitted at the start of the trial.
"The sentence for murder is life imprisonment. I also have to fix the minimum term you will have to serve before you are eligible for parole.
"That will not be done today. That will be done on a separate occasion."
Woods was remanded in custody and prison authorities were asked to ensure he remained at Mold Crown Court until 13:00 BST.
- Published11 April 2018
