Lee Irving: Man found guilty of vulnerable man's murder
By Kris Jepson - @krisjepson
A man has been found guilty of murdering 24-year-old vulnerable adult, Lee Irving.James Wheatley, 29, was found guilty of murder by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday.
Co-accused Barry Imray, 35, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter, but a jury said he caused or allowed the death of a vulnerable adult.
Imray had already admitted doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice. Both Imray and Wheatley had admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Wheatley's mother Julie Mills and his former partner Nicole Lawrence were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult. The jury also found them guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Lee Irving’s body was dumped on a path in Kenton, Newcastle, next to the A1.
Over the course of two weeks from May into June last year, Lee was subjected to at least two vicious attacks. The court was told he was kicked, punched and stamped repeatedly and eventually died of respiratory failure due to his extensive injuries.
Lee had 27 separate rib fractures, a broken nose and jaw, facial and scalp including extensive bruises, grazes and lacerations, leg abrasions and bruising to his lung.
During his ordeal he was held in Julie Mills’ home in Studdon Walk, Kenton. Sedated with a combination of drugs, including morphine, valium and buprenorphine (medication for heroin addicts), he was beaten again and again. The four defendants prevented Lee from getting urgent medical attention on several occasions.
Texts and online searches
The defendants swapped various messages in the days and hours leading to Lee’s death. In one James Wheatley messaged Nicole Lawrence, “I walloped him… I gave him a broken nose, two black eyes, cut on his eye”. Julie Mills wrote in a Facebook message, “You want to see the state of Lee. It’s like a bloodbath. He is like an elephant man”. Nicole Lawrence texted Wheatley, saying “Once he has gone he can’t prove nowt. When he has gone, give your room a good clean out”.
Realising Lee may be dying, the two female defendants frantically searched online to establish what was wrong with him. Google searches included: “dehydration”, “what is best for bruises”, “why does my face go yellow”, “what happens if I have a hole in my nose”, “why is my full body cold after an assault”, “symptoms of a blood clot” and “symptoms of a bleed on the brain”.
All four will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday