Killer facing life sentence after being found guilty of murdering his cousin

Tragic Daryl Fowler lost his life on the anniversary of his dad's death after being stabbed by his cousin Lee Wall during a violent row.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 28-year-old victim and his girlfriend Coreena Jamieson had gone to the home Wall shared with his partner Emma Brown and a violent argument erupted.

During the violence, Wall stabbed Mr Fowler in the abdomen twice.

Mr Fowler had emergency treatment at the scene and in hospital but died in the early hours of the following day, which was the third anniversary of his dad's death.

Wall, 43, denied murder during a trial but has now been convicted by a jury, who agreed unanimously on the verdict.

Wall and Emma Brown, 40, who is also in custody, had both previously pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice in relation to lies they told after the killing and will be sentenced together on March 5.

Judge Paul Sloan QC told Wall after the verdict: "You must understand that for the offence of murder there is only one sentence and that is a sentence of life imprisonment.

"However, I am required by law to specify the minimum term you must serve before you could even be considered for release.

"I am going to adjourn sentence until March 5.

"Your co-accused will be at court on that date as well and I direct you are produced in person at court for the sentence hearing."

Prosecutor Simon Kealey QC had told the court Mr Fowler lived with his grandmother Jennifer Miller in South Shields and would "go off the rails" in the days leading up to his dad's anniversary on September 12, by drinking and taking drugs.

On September 11 last year Mr Fowler had been drinking and claimed to have taken 40-50 tablets "because he couldn't cope with his father's anniversary".

Mr Kealey told jurors a row had broken out at Brown and Wall's home at Chevington, Leam Lane, Gateshead, between her and Miss Jamieson, over the sale of an Iphone and the men became involved.

The court heard a post mortem revealed Mr Fowler had suffered two stab wounds.

One caused damage to his bowel and pancreas and the other damaged his aorta, a main artery in the body, which ultimately caused cardiac arrest.

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Dodds said: “This is a tragic case that has taken a son, brother and grandson from his family. It will see another man spend the foreseeable future in prison.

“All four individuals involved in this incident spent most of the day together before an argument over a mobile phone descended into violence.

“Lee Wall fatally stabbed a man he considered a friend and has shown no remorse throughout the investigation, or the subsequent trial. Instead he’s done everything he can to evade justice.

“I welcome the verdict of the jury and I hope that the fact Wall will spend a significant period of time in prison will bring some comfort to Mr Fowler’s family.”

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