Family of murdered Scarborough man speak of his '˜callous' killing

Clifford Honeyman, 42, and Andrew Stevenson, 39, inflicted catastrophic injuries on Richard Walker, 50, during the sustained attack.

At Leeds Crown Court, Stevenson was told by a judge he will serve at least 28 years before he can be eligible for release. Honeyman will serve a minimum of 25 years in jail.

Both denied murder but following a lengthy trial a jury today found them both guilty.

After the sentencing, Mr Walker’s family said in a written statement: “Our family feels a huge sense of relief at the guilty verdict the jury has delivered in this trial.

“Richard’s murder was a callous and unnecessary act of pure evil. Sitting through the trial every day has been an unbelievably harrowing experience that we will never forget.

“Over the past five months our family has witnessed the best and worse in people and we would like to thank everyone who has helped us throughout these months in our journey to find justice for Richard.

“Special thanks go to Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, Detective Constable Gill Hamilton and the whole of the Major Investigation Team.

“It was their dedication and tireless work that made the case and brought it to court. They care enormously about the work they do and we would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to them for their outstanding support.

“Thanks also to Mr John Elvidge QC and his junior, Mr David Lamb, who prosecuted the case. We were very fortunate to have had them prosecuting and owe them a debt of gratitude.

“As a family we would also like to thank our huge safety net of family and friends who have helped and supported us all throughout the last five months.

“Nothing can bring Richard back and our family will never be the same again but we are relieved justice has been done.”

Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn of the Major Investigation Team said: “I am very pleased with the sentence passed as it reflects the extremely violent and totally unnecessary manner in which Richard Walker died.

“The family have had to endure a three-week trial in which they have listened to the catastrophic injuries suffered by Richard at the hands of Stevenson and Honeyman, two violent individuals.

“The family have acted with the utmost dignity and it makes all the hard work and effort of the team worthwhile to at least provide them with some justice.

“We do thank the public for their help and support in this case and I also wish to thank the excellent service we have been given by our forensic and pathology experts who spent days at the scene of Richard’s murder, meticulously searching for the evidence, and in the manner it was then presented. I’d also like to acknowledge the prosecution barrister and his team for the way they presented their evidence.”

A third man was also jailed for ten years for robbing another man with Stevenson and Honeyman.