Grantham man jailed for life for stabbing friend to death in 'brutal' murder

A National Grid worker from Grantham who inflicted 51 knife injuries during the "brutal" murder of his friend has been jailed for life. A judge told Nicholas Ward, 38, that he will have to serve a minimum of 21 years behind bars before he is even considered for release by the Parole Board.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Ward subjected Tony McDermott, 38, to over two hours of violence and torture after falsely accusing him of stealing his work tablet computer. The father-of-six and Arsenal supporter died from heavy blood loss after one of the stab wounds went all the way through his left leg.

Ward, of Eton Street, Grantham, had denied murder but jurors rejected his defence and took just two hours to unanimously find him guilty. Ward had sobbed during his evidence but showed no reaction as the jury returned their guilty verdict.

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Judge Simon Hirst sentenced Ward in front of a packed public gallery made up of Mr McDermott's family and friends. Passing sentence Judge Hirst told Ward there were a number of aggravating features to the murder.

These included Ward's previous convictions, his use of drink and drugs, the use of a dangerous weapon and his knowledge that Mr McDermott had injuries from being assaulted five days earlier. Judge Hirst said he accepted there was not an intention to kill from Ward but explained the impact of this was limited by the duration of his violence and the fact he was not a "stranger" to Mr McDermott.

"This was a sustained and brutal attack over a period of two hours," Judge Hirst explained. "He tried to escape from both the front and back door of 3 Eton Street but on each occasion you dragged him back into the living room and continued your attack."

"You effectively tortured your friend for around two hours or so," the Judge added, telling Ward he made threats to cut off his friend's ears and fingers. "The pain you inflicted on him must have been excruciating," the Judge said.

A Home Office pathologist estimated it could have taken up to an hour for Mr McDermott to die from his blood loss. Judge Hirst also praised Mr McDermott's family for the dignity they had shown during the trial and described Ward's account that he could not remember two hours of the evening as "absolute nonsense."

"My clear view having heard the evidence is that Mr Ward was saying anything he could to avoid liability for the death of his friend," Judge Hirst added, saying it was plain that Mr McDermott was "much loved" and his death had left an "unfillable hole."

Victim impact statements from three of Mr McDermott's family were read out during the sentence hearing and family members wore Arsenal shirts in memory of the football loving father. Mr McDermott's mother described how her son was befriended by Ward 24 years ago.

"My son was always there for you," she told the court, explaining how Mr McDermott had helped Ward through being bullied, his relationship problems and the loss of his grandmother. "You tortured him and left him on the floor like a dog," she added.

Mr McDermott's mother said his family had been left with a life sentence, and stressed how her son would never steal anything from a friend. A victim impact statement on behalf of four of Mr McDermott's children was bravely read out by his eldest daughter.

She described how Mr McDermott had never wanted anything but pure happiness for his children and how his death had left her with the pressure of being his next of kin. "It was a heartbreaking experience," she added. "Losing my dad felt like losing part of myself."

Mr McDermott's eldest daughter explained she was also angry that Ward had stolen her dad's life, describing him as her "hero."

"He was trying to get out and you Nick wouldn't let him out. You could have stopped but you chose to carry on."

A final statement was also read out from the mother of Mr McDermott's two youngest children. She described the screams of her children after they learnt of Mr McDermott's murder at the hands of a close friend.

She said: "The day of Tony's murder changed our lives forever. You stole my baby girls' daddy. You are a monster and I pray one day you feel this pain."

One of his daughter's added: "There is no explanation in the world for what you have done to my family and me. I never got to say goodbye. It is not fair."

Simon Ash KC, prosecuting told jurors that Ward lost his temper after wrongly accusing McDermott of stealing his National Grid work computer. Mr McDermott repeatedly denied taking the tablets but Ward did not believe him. The tablets were later recovered by police in a bag belonging to Ward.

The two men - who had been friends for over 20 years - were drinking at Mr Ward's home in Eton Street, Grantham, on the evening of October 13 when he subjected Mr McDermott to two hours of violence, Mr Ash said.

Ward then "lied and lied again" to cover up his repeated attacks on Mr McDermott, the prosecutor told jurors. While questioning Ward in court, Mr Ash said he had lied about Mr McDermott's role in the violence.

He said: "Those claims emerged for the first time on 28 March, five months after the night you killed Mr McDermott. There was no hint of these things in what you said to your friends that morning, these claims about Mr McDermott."

"Having killed your friend, you are now lying about him," Mr Ash told Ward. "After losing your temper because of your mistake about the tablet, and because you were drunk and had taken cocaine you inflicted all these injuries deliberately on Mr McDermott."

Mr Ward, giving evidence from the witness box, answered: "No". But Mr Ash continued: "So when you inflicted these 51 knife wounds, including eleven stab wounds and five chop wounds what was your intention?" Ward replied: "I don't know."

The defendant claimed he attempted CPR on Mr McDermott after "he came round" and found him lifeless on the floor. But Mr Ash said to him: "It was too late Mr Ward because you had killed him by then? Hadn't you Mr Ward? "I must have done," Mr Ward replied.

The court heard Ward fled from his home without calling 999 and made a number of incriminating phone calls to three friends. Ward replied "I don't know" when he was asked why he didn't call an ambulance for his friend.

Mr Ash told jurors every time Mr McDermott tried to get away he was beaten by Mr Ward. At some point during this long period of violence Ward responded to another house mate who opened his door by saying 'stay in your room, there's nothing to see here.'

"That doesn't sound like self defence Mr Ward?," the prosecutor suggested to the defendant, who again replied: "I don't know."

Ward accepted he must have gone to buy cannabis after fleeing his home and leaving his dead friend behind. Jurors heard Mr Ward had provided two defence statements and did not tell the police during his interviews what had happened in the room with Mr McDermott.

"The only true account given is the accounts you have given to your friends on the morning of 13 October," Mr Ash told the defendant. "You have lied and lied again to get out of trouble."

Laurie-Anne Power KC, mitigating for Ward, said prior to that day Mr Ward was not someone who had demonstrated behaviour to carry out such an attack. Miss Power asked the judge to accept Ward had a genuine belief his tablet had been stolen and did not intend to kill Mr McDermott.