£20,000 reward on 20th anniversary of a brutal unsolved murder in Banbury

A £20,000 reward has been offered to solve a brutal unsolved murder in Banbury.

Twenty years after Kevin Lavelle was beaten to death whilst staying at The Cricketers Arms, Middleton Road, his family is appealing for information.

The 29-year-old father of two, from the Bootle area of Liverpool, had come to Banbury to work as a crane operator at the time to save money for his wedding, which was due to take place the following year.

The evening prior to his death, Thursday 24 June 2004, was the Euros football match between England and Portugal.

Thames Valley Police say Kevin, who was staying at the pub with a friend, exchanged remarks about the football match when he returned to the pub following a night out.

An altercation broke out with a group of rail workers from the Rhondda area in south Wales, who were regular guests, visiting the pub every summer.

Kevin suffered numerous blows to his head and body with a dumbbell and died at the scene due to his extensive injuries.

An investigation was launched in 2004 and a man from south Wales was charged with murder, however, he was acquitted in January 2006.

Since his death, Kevin’s family have tirelessly appealed for information to help bring those involved to justice, and finally find peace.

Kevin’s sister, Lesley Lavelle, said: “Kevin's death has had a devastating impact on our entire family. He was a devoted father to his children, my only brother, and the only son to our parents."

“Our family has suffered for 20 long, heart-breaking years, unable to grieve Kevin's loss fully because we still don't know who is responsible for his horrific murder."

“Three years ago, we sadly lost our mum after she suffered a heart attack on the anniversary of Kevin’s death. We believe she died of a broken heart after 20 years of carrying this heartache, and losing her one and only beloved son."

“In recent years, my father’s health has deteriorated as a result of the grief of Kevin’s death, and all we ask for is for someone to find it within themselves to come forward and speak out about his murder."

“Someone knows exactly what happened that night."

“My dad and I are appealing to anyone that has any information that can help bring Kevin’s killer or killers to justice.

“Please, we urge you to come forward and do the right thing, and allow us, as a family, to begin the grieving process instead of living with this overwhelming anger and heartache.

“Let us get justice for Kevin Lavelle.”

Head of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Investigation Review Team, Peter Beirne, said: “We are continuing to appeal for information following the 20-year anniversary of Kevin Lavelle’s tragic death."

“We would like to speak to anyone who was staying at The Cricketers or has any information on anyone staying at the pub in Banbury on 24 June 2004."

A reward, totalling £20,000, has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Kevin’s death. It is available for information given exclusively to the charity Crimestoppers. This reward expires after 25 September 2024.

“Anyone with any information is urged to contact Thames Valley Police by making a report online or by calling 101, quoting reference number JA1989031/04."

“You can contact Crimestoppers anonymously at any time on 0800 555 111 or via their website. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”

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