Man sentenced to life in prison after 'mistaken identity' killing in County Durham
Michael Richardson was one of four people sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on Friday following the death of Lee Clarkson in November 2023
by Daniel Hall · ChronicleLiveA man who led a revenge plot after two alleged burglaries at his home has been sentenced to life in prison after the murder of a man in a case of mistaken identity.
Lee Clarkson was murdered at his home on West Lane in Bishop Auckland on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. He was beaten and stamped on in his front garden and stabbed three times.
The 41-year-old died a short time later, with his cause of death confirmed as blood loss from two of the stab wounds. Mr Justice Jacobs sentenced Michael Richardson, 52, to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years for Mr Clarkson's murder at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, after being found to have instigated the "mob-handed attack".
Karl Jones, 45, appearing via video link, was also found guilty of manslaughter by the same jury in a seven-week trial and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Craig Dent, 43, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the beginning of the trial, which was recognised in his sentencing of nine years and six months.
Both will have to serve at least two-thirds of their sentences before they are eligible for parole.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also sentenced for murder. He will spend at least 15 years behind bars, first in a young offenders' institute, before being transferred to an adult prison.
A victim impact statement which Judge Jacobs described as heartbreaking and beautifully written was read out on behalf of Mr Clarkson's sister, Michelle Humble, during the sentencing proceedings. She said that her brother, a dad-of-three, was a thoroughly decent, popular, good-natured and kind-hearted man who enjoyed life.
She condemned those responsible for his death, saying: "We, as a family, have sat through the trial and have listened to the lies and pathetic excuses of the individuals who took the life of my brother for no reason at all. His death has left a void that can never be filled."
A Durham Constabulary investigation found that the group responsible had not intended to attack Mr Clarkson that evening, and the target was instead Mr Clarkson's lodger, who Richardson believed was responsible for two alleged burglaries on his house and shed where power tools and jewellery were reportedly stolen. The court heard on Friday that Mr Clarkson was completely innocent and had no knowledge of the burglaries, while it has not been proven that his lodger committed those offences either.
On the night of Mr Clarkson's death, his attackers had armed themselves with a knife and a baseball bat. The unnamed 17-year-old inflicted the two fatal stab wounds into Mr Clarkson's abdominal cavity, which the court was told would have been "moderate to severe force".
The attackers fled the scene four minutes after their arrival in Michael Richardson's red Land Rover Freelander. The judge said that Jones and Dent had become involved after the promise of a "small" reward of tablets from Richardson following the attack.
Detective Chief Inspector Lee Blakelock, Deputy Senior Investigating Officer at Durham Constabulary, said: "This was a vicious attack on an innocent man in his own home. After leaving Lee dying in his own garden, the group carried on as if nothing had just happened. I think they believed they would never be caught.
"It must have been incredibly difficult for Lee’s family to relive the events of that night, but they sat through the trial every day with tremendous dignity and courage. Nothing can change what happened that day, but I hope Lee’s family can take some comfort knowing they are now behind bars for a significant number of years."
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