Court rejects Newlove killer appeal

12 April 2012

A youth serving life for the alcohol-fuelled murder of father-of-three Garry Newlove, who was kicked to death after confronting vandals outside his home, has lost an appeal against conviction and sentence.

Gang ringleader Adam Swellings, now 20, of Crewe, Cheshire, was present in the dock at the Court of Appeal in London to hear three judges reject his argument that his conviction was unsafe and his 17-year minimum term "manifestly excessive".

Co-accused Stephen Sorton, now 18, of Warrington, waived his right to attend the court for his appeal against his 15-year minimum term.

Reducing the period to one of 13 years Lord Justice Moore-Bick emphasised that even when Sorton has served that term he will not be released until the parole board was satisfied he "no longer presents a danger to the public".

Mr Newlove's widow Helen sat in the public gallery of the packed courtroom for the proceedings. Her husband, a 47-year-old salesman who had overcome stomach cancer, was murdered outside his Warrington home in August last year.

Mr Newlove was attacked after he left his home to confront the gang in Station Road North and was kicked "like a football" by the youths, a jury at Chester Crown Court heard.

Mr Newlove's daughters, Zoe, 18, Danielle, 16, and Amy, 13, witnessed the horrific attack on their father. He suffered massive head injuries and died two days later in hospital.

It emerged after the pair and another teenager were found guilty in January that Swellings had been released from custody for an assault just hours before the attack. Swellings was freed on bail on condition that he stayed away from Warrington but he remained in the town despite the court order.

The unsuccessful conviction appeal by Swellings centred on a claim that the trial judge wrongly admitted "bad character" evidence before the jury relating to other incidents involving the gang earlier on the day Mr Newlove was attacked.