Yahoo News How Newcastle man's childhood friend became his killer
Smiling for the camera, murdered Bradley Tams poses for a picture with the childhood friend that would become his killer.
Bradley had been friends with Gavin Train for more than 10 years, and the pair became so close that Train even asked his pal to be godfather to his child, before they fell out last year. But even after the friendship broke down, Bradley's loved ones could never have imagined his former friend would go on to stab him to death.
Train is now facing life behind bars after pleading guilty to 23-year-old Bradley's murder. And today the stab victim's heartbroken mum has told ChronicleLive how the knife killer betrayed her boy.
Julie Weatherson said: "They were really close friends. He's someone Brad would have trusted. He never would have thought it would come to that, or that he could do something like that. But you are not a friend if you can do that."
Bradley, who was the oldest of seven siblings, was born in Scotswood and grew up in Blakelaw where he became close friends with both Train and Lewis Allison, who was also accused of his murder.
Julie, 43, said she had welcomed Train into her home and he would regularly spend time there before he fell out with Bradley, who was a dad-of-two.
"Gavin Train has sat in my house with Bradley. He always seemed alright to me," said Julie. "I have still got a card in my house from Gavin Train to my Bradley asking him to be his child's godfather. But I know they did fall out last year and they never made up since then."
Just before midnight on December 6 last year, police responded to a report of an assault in Cartmel Green, Slatyford. Bradley was found seriously injured having been stabbed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The police investigation revealed that earlier the same evening, Bradley travelled to the address by taxi and was followed by Train. Train confronted Bradley about a previous dispute before a physical and verbal altercation broke out. Bradley fled the scene into a neighbouring block of flats after suffering a single wound to his side, but he died a short time later.
Within hours, Train was arrested. He initially denied his involvement in Bradley’s death but pleaded guilty to murder on Friday, just two days before his trial had been due to start on Monday. Co-accused Andrea Train – Gavin’s mother – and Allison, who denied murder, admitted violent disorder and all the pleas were accepted by the prosecution.
Julie has previously told ChronicleLive of the moment she was told her precious son had been stabbed to death. She had been at home in Gosforth when her daughter Elliemae Weatherson received a phone call telling them Bradley had been stabbed. Soon after police came to the door and them Bradley was dead.
And today Julie has told of her disbelief when she was told it was Train who had been arrested for killing her son.
She said: "A few hours later when they said it was Gavin Train I was totally, totally shocked. I didn't think he was capable of it."
After Train's guilty plea at Newcastle Crown Court Julie was shown footage of the fatal attack on her son that would have been played to jurors.
"I have watched the footage," she said. "They followed him. The footage shows Brad getting in a taxi and them following him and then they set about him."
Train, 24, of Rothay Place, Blakelaw, Newcastle; Lewis Allison, 24, of Roundhill Avenue, Blakelaw; and Andrea Train, 49, of Rothay Place, Blakelaw, will be sentenced on July 22. All three were remanded in custody.
