Jacob Cookson and Logan Eaton given life for murder of Leigh Smith after ‘cuckooing’ his Eccles home

Two teenage members of a drugs gang have been detained for life for the brutal murder of a vulnerable man whose home they had “cuckooed”.Jacob Cookson, 18, and Logan Eaton, 17, took over the flat of Leigh Smith, 48, last year for their drug activities.

Cookson, the joint head of the Salford organised crime group, and his trusted lieutenant, Eaton, helped run a sophisticated operation in which Cookson earned £7,000 a week.Many homes of addicts were taken over for the preparation and distribution of heroin and crack cocaine in a practice known as “cuckooing”, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Mr Smith, known as Leroy, was targeted shortly after he moved into an assisted flat in Eccles, Greater Manchester.He was said to be proud of his new home and had begun to turn his life around from his spiral into drug addiction and a spell of homelessness.

However, the court heard his progress was undone when he came into contact with the defendants.On June 16 last year, Cookson was assaulted by another man at Mr Smith’s address and mistakenly concluded Mr Smith set up the attack.Armed with knives, Cookson and Eaton returned to the victim’s flat on the evening of June 21 to "teach him a lesson".Mr Smith suffered a number of wounds including one to his leg which severed a major artery and left him unable to move as he bled to death.

Sentencing Cookson and Eaton to minimum terms of 19 years and 17 years in custody, Judge Alan Conrad QC told them: "Your thoughts were only for yourselves as you fled the scene and simply carried on with your drug supplying."Both were convicted following a six-week trial on the prosecution’s case that they intended to cause really serious harm to Mr Smith.Addressing the pair on Friday, the judge added: "I have come to the conclusion you are both youths who are experienced in crime with business acumen and hardened criminal attitudes which show no sign of changing in the near future."In particular you, Jacob Cookson, controlled, managed and manipulated a whole range of people with differing degrees of vulnerability."You are both emotionally mature beyond your years."In a statement read to the court, Mr Smith’s mother Jackie Roycroft said her eldest son, a father-of-one, was a "funny, caring person" before his addiction took hold.She said: "It is no secret my son had made mistakes but he was my son and he was still a human being."To the people responsible for this – why? How could you leave him there bleeding to death? For what?"

Reporting restrictions on publishing the identity of youth Eaton were lifted by the judge.Detective Chief Insp Ben Cottam said: "Cuckooing is a horrendous practice which we are determined to crack down on in Greater Manchester."If you think a family member or neighbour may be a victim of cuckooing then please get in touch with police so we can help them."

Alan Pope, Senior Crown Prosecutor with Crown Prosecution Service North West, said, "Jacob Cookson and his accomplice took advantage of Leigh Smith’s vulnerabilities by using him and his home for drug supply, then they carried out the brutal attack that lead to his death.

"Neither accepted their guilt and Leigh’s family have waited patiently for justice.

"Nothing can bring Leigh back, but I hope Leigh’s family can find some solace in the fact that the offenders have been brought to justice for what they did to Leigh. Our thoughts remain with his family at this time."