Six individuals imprisoned following man’s ‘senseless’ killing

Six men have received prison sentences after a man was fatally assaulted during a burglary in North Lincolnshire. Ian Staves, aged 44, was discovered deceased at his residence on Cherry Lane, Wootton, on September 12, 2022. Bradford Crown Court was informed that he had been subjected to punches, kicks, stamps, and strangulation the preceding night. Judge Peter Kelson KC stated that all defendants had “played more than a minor role” in the assault, further noting that it constituted a “carefully planned burglary,” with the intended target “most likely drugs and drug money.” The individuals convicted include St Clair, Windas, Furtado, Jamie Smith, and Patrick Smith, all of whom were acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter by a jury after a four-week trial. Gibson was also cleared of murder and, on Wednesday, was acquitted of manslaughter. Patrick Smith and Jamie Smith admitted a charge of conspiracy to burgle, and the jury delivered guilty verdicts on this charge for the remaining four men. Judge Kelson informed St Clair that he was the “mastermind” behind the incident, adding: “You recruited the others to do your dirty work, hoping to remain sufficiently distant to avoid detection.” The judge indicated that Patrick Smith, Furtado, and Windas were “party to the attack” on Mr Staves, who was assaulted by multiple individuals. The court heard that subsequent to the killing, police confiscated 11lb (5kg) of cocaine and a substantial sum of money. Judge Kelson mentioned that Mr Staves had been observed carrying a bag into his home the day before his death. However, law enforcement never recovered the bag. Earlier, prosecutor Tom Storey recounted how searches of Furtado’s home led to the discovery of a loaded handgun inside a gift bag, which also contained a loose round of ammunition. Mr Storey also stated that another shortened shotgun was found wrapped in a pair of tracksuit bottoms. In a statement presented in court, Mr Staves’ eldest sister, Jacqueline Jeffrey, characterized her brother’s death as “senseless” and expressed that she had “no idea what made him take that first step into addiction.” She recalled doting on her brother during his childhood and added: “His last minutes haunt me.”