Yahoo News The face of 'devious' murderer who killed flatmate as they walked home from the pub
A 'devious' murderer who killed his flatmate during a brutal attack in the street after they’d spent a night in the pub together has been jailed for life. Lee Burns, 38, will have to serve at least 21 years in prison after he was found guilty of the murder of 45-year-old Vinny McDonagh.
Mr McDonagh, who was engaged and a father to four-year-old son Frankie, was found unresponsive in the street in Oldham after Burns had launched a ferocious attack. After punching him and causing him to fall to the ground, Burns proceeded to kick and punch him repeatedly.
Burns had said ‘I’ll f****** bang you out bro’ before attacking Mr McDonagh. The assault was captured on harrowing CCTV footage, containing 'sickening thuds', which his loved ones found too distressing to watch in court.
The pair had spent the night in a pub together after Mr McDonagh had lent him £20. Prosecutors said the motive for the murder was unclear but that Burns may have been angered by Mr McDonagh using his mobile phone.
Burns denied murder and claimed he had been acting in self-defence. But a jury at Manchester Crown Court saw through his lies and convicted him. Judge Alan Conrad KC told Burns: "You have shown no remorse at all during these proceedings.
"You used every device you could to throw mud at Vincent and to sully his character, knowing he was not here to answer back. You are a devious and manipulative man who sought in the face of overwhelming evidence to concoct a bogus defence.
"What you did was as cowardly as it was wicked. Vincent had done nothing to warrant your behaviour towards him."
Burns was today handed a life sentence, and ordered to serve at least 21 years behind bars before he can be considered for release. His fiancé Demi Leigh Sykes and other loved ones were in court to see justice being done.
Prosecutor Rob Hall said during the trial: "It’s not completely clear as to what the dispute between them was about. “It may have been something as innocuous as Mr McDonagh making a call on Mr Burns’ phone.”
But he said it was clear their conversation as they walked home following a night at the Manor Inn pub on Abbey Hills Road in Oldham, 'seemed to take a turn for the worse'. “Clearly it was something that wound Mr Burns up, significantly," the prosecutor said.
Mr Hall continued: “On the evening of Thursday November 9, 2023, Vincent or Vinny McDonagh, who was 45-years–old at the time, lent £20 to a co-resident in his flat block. That co-resident was the defendant Lee Burns, who was 38-years-old at the time.
“The reason for the lending of that money was so that they could both go to the pub together that Thursday night. It would appear that Mr McDonagh was well disposed towards Mr Burns, hence the lending of the £20.”
As they walked home at about 11pm, Burns punched Mr McDonagh to the head, knocking him unconscious, and then repeatedly punched and stamped on his head as he lay prone on the pavement. He then walked away. It was about 45 minutes until members of the public noticed him and tried to help.
Burns went home to the block of flats on Worsley Road in Oldham where he and Mr McDonagh had both lived. He was arrested at 5am the following day.
Defending, Richard Littler KC accepted that Burns has an 'appalling' criminal record, after wracking up 58 previous offences, including a 10 year sentence for 'horrible attacks' on two elderly women. He said Burns has an 'impulsive violent temperament', and has had mental health issues which have been exacerbated by his drinking.
But Mr Littler denied that Burns had an intention to kill Mr McDonagh, describing the incident as a 'spur of the moment' attack following a 'disagreement over nothing'. Burns was on bail for allegations of assault and domestic violence at the time of the killing.
Mr Littler said the defendant apologised for not attending court when sentencing was originally due to take place on Monday. Burns was 'very stressed' about being sentenced and had taken some pills the night before, the court heard.
Tributes were paid to Mr McDonagh following his death. His fiancé Demi said: "Vinny was an amazing fiancé, a loving dad and devoted family man. He was kind and helpful to everyone and nothing was ever too much to ask.
"He loved his little boy to pieces, he doted on him and would always make sure he had everything. He loved his music and would always sing to me and his little boy, he was always making jokes and was the life of the party.
"He was from a big family in Ireland and had six brothers and seven sisters, and would always speak about their memories and his love for his dad Barney. Our lives are so empty without him, we cannot believe someone would just take him away.
"He will be missed so much, and we don’t know how to go on without him. We always used to say we loved each other to the moon and stars and now I won’t hear that from him again."
'A huge void'
Detective Inspector Paul Davies from our Serious Crime Division said: "I would like to convey my deepest condolences to Vinny’s fiancé Demi and their son Frankie, who will have to continue their lives without Vinny, something that will undoubtedly leave a huge void in their family.
"Vinny and Lee Burns were friends and spent the evening in their local pub. Whilst walking home, Burns began to shout and become aggressive toward Vinny before taking him to the floor. He continued to assault him, knocking him unconscious as he lay defenceless on the ground.
"Burns then made his way home making no attempt to get help for Vinny. Throughout this trial, he has maintained innocence saying he was acting in self-defence. Our investigation has been meticulous, and we were able to draw up a timeline of both men’s movements, securing CCTV and audio footage from local premises.
"I would like to thank the initial attending officers and the investigating team whose swift actions, hard work and dedication ensured Burns was identified and arrested within a short space of time. We will continue to support Vinny’s family in every way we can, and I hope today’s result can go some way to providing closure for them."
