Middlesbrough addict jailed after murdering man with empty Lambrini bottle and walking stick

A man has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering another man following a fight over drugs.

Ian Macneil was found collapsed on the street in Middlesbrough in November 2021.

The 46-year-old suffered serious head injuries and died 10 days later of a brain haemorrhage.

Teesside Crown Court heard he had had a row with his killer Dean Williams because he had "refused to share his drugs".

Williams assaulted him with an empty bottle of Lambrini and hit him with a walking stick. He then took him to the kitchen to clean the blood from him before attacking him again.

Mr Macneil was seen staggering around on CCTV before being found sitting in a doorway in the early hours of Sunday 28 November.

He was taken to James Cook University Hospital but later died of his injuries.

Williams was convicted of murder following a trial and was today (Friday 11 August) jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years.

He was branded a "coward" by the Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Paul Watson QC after he failed to attend the hearing.

He said: "You are not present in court because you have chosen not to attend."The reality is you do not want to attend because you cannot face the consequences. You don’t even have the courage to face the court today."

Paying tribute to Mr Macneil, his mum Carole said: “Firstly, I want everyone to know that although Ian had issues with alcohol and drugs this should not define him. He was not a violent man; he was a loving, caring son, brother, and uncle and very much a part of our family. Ian was a lovely kind-hearted man, he was not aggressive, he just wanted to live a quiet life.

“It’s hard for me to put into words the impact that his death has had, it must be bad enough to lose a son by natural causes but to have him taken through violence at the hands of another when there was absolutely no reason for it, I don’t think I will ever come to terms with that.

“We miss Ian every day, he would call in most days to see us so I find myself even now still expecting him to come through the door and then reality hits me that I will never see my son again and it is absolute torture to know that.

“What happened to Ian that night will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Every family event, every special occasion and just every day won’t be the same without him and as a family will have to live with this for the rest of our lives.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Simone Bennett, said: “Ian Macneil was assaulted by Dean Williams so seriously that he died ten days later from his injuries.

“Ian was dearly loved by his family and friends and they will now have to live the rest of their lives without him. I am pleased that Williams has now been convicted and will spend significant time behind bars to pay for what he has done. I hope this will bring some form of comfort to Ian’s family.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved in the court process; the Criminal Prosecution Service and the judge and jury, the investigation team for their hard work and Ian’s family for their patience and dignity throughout. I’d also like to thank the homeless community who came together to bring their evidence to the courtroom and help us get the justice that Ian and his family deserves.”

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