A 21-YEAR-OLD man has today been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of a ‘love rival’ in Widnes.
Paul Smith, of Eversley, Widnes, was found guilty of the manslaughter of 23-year-old Alex Newcombe, from Walton, at Chester Crown Court on Monday, October 15.
Alex Newcombe was found dead in the garden of a house in Hough Green, Widnes in August last year after being chased and attacked by Paul Smith which caused him to fall from a fence.
The judge described the case as ‘appalling’, adding that Smith had ‘hounded his victim to his death’.
He added that ‘drunken yobbery will not be tolerated in civilised society’, indicating that the sentenced imposed on Smith showed this to others.
Detective Inspector Steve Jones, who led the investigation, said: “We are pleased with the decision of the jury to find Paul Smith guilty of manslaughter.
“His actions led to the senseless death of a young man and our thoughts are with Alex’s family at this time.
“We hope that the guilty verdict reached and the sentence handed down will help bring about a degree of closure for them.
“This was a challenging case for the police to investigate due to the complicated sequence of events on the night of Alex’s death.
“Due to the determined efforts and professionalism of my team and the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the support of the witnesses who came forward, Paul Smith will now face the consequences of his actions.”
The trial involved two further defendants, however the case against a 17-year-old boy was dismissed part way through the trial and a 15-year-old boy also charged with manslaughter was found not guilty.
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