Sister said 'it will haunt me forever' after tragic knock on the door

The sister of a man who was fatally beaten with a golf club said she will 'never go away' until her brother's killer is behind bars.

Terence "Terry" Dunn was subjected to a horrific street attack on the afternoon of June 18 2019 by a thug wielding a golf club. The 49-year-old spent 12 weeks in Aintree University Hospital recovering from his catastrophic injuries but died in September of the same year due to medical complications.

His younger sister Sarah, 46, today told the ECHO her fight for justice continues and she won't be able to grieve the loss of her brother until his killer is convicted. Sarah, a mum of four who lives on the same road her injured brother was found on, said despite her brother being attacked five years ago to the day, she has never been given a reason as to why he was attacked in such a brutal way.

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Speaking to the ECHO, Sarah said: "Five years ago today I received a knock on the door. I ran out the house and Terry was lying there in the road. The sight will haunt me forever. I had to perform first aid on my own brother while we waited 45 minutes for an ambulance. He was taken to hospital where he had to be resuscitated - it was absolutely horrendous.

"He was my only close family member left - we lost our mum and dad quite young - and he was losing his life in front of me. I lived in hospital with him for the next few weeks before he moved out and came and lived with me. But he went back into hospital on September 22 and 48 hours later he was dead. That was when it all came crashing down and we realised he was now a murder victim."

Growing up in Norris Green with two other siblings, Sarah said her and Terry were always close. She told the ECHO: "He was the oldest brother and I was the youngest sister. We were the naughty ones, not ever in trouble with the police or anything like that, but we liked to play practical jokes.

"He never had his own children but he was always around mine helping with my girls. He always came around at Christmas and I did his Sunday dinner every weekend. He was a massive part of my family's lives. If he was taken because of illness it would be easier to accept. But I feel like I've been left on my own now I don't have him to call."

Terry, a keen fisherman who often spent his days down at Larkhill Park, known in the area as the Ducky, left his flat at around 3.30pm on the day of the attack to make one of his regular trips to withdraw money from the Credit Union. Around 10 minutes later he reached Kilrea Close, but he was being followed.

A witness nearby saw Terry being chased into an alleyway, where he was then subjected to a vicious attack by the thug. The suspect was challenged by a member of the public and then ran down a cut-through in the direction of the loop line. The suspect is described as a white, 5ft 7in, in his 20s and wearing dark clothing with a hood up.

Terry suffered a ruptured spleen and multiple shattered bones. Sarah told the ECHO the attack was so violent that doctors originally believed he had been stabbed - only for further investigations to reveal his broken arm bone had punctured his own rib cage.

She continued: "How can another human being cause so much damage to another? It's sickening. That is when my anger kicks in. It sickens me that someone else can do that. My brother was only nine stone. If someone wanted to give him a kicking they could have used their fists. Someone set out with intentions to murder him."

Despite the efforts of doctors, his injuries ultimately proved too much for his body to handle, and three months after the attack he suffered a fatal heart attack. The post-mortem examination linked it to his injuries from the attack. Sarah told the ECHO her brother was well-known and well-liked in the local community.

Five years on, she continues to question why her brother was attacked in the manner he was. She said while he was in hospital she questioned him as to what had happened, but Terry could not understand or explain why he was attacked. Speaking to BBC Crimewatch, an investigating officer said: "We do believe it was a targeted attack, however, we don't know the motive."

When her brother died in September, Sarah said she struggled to comprehend that he was now a murder victim. She told the ECHO: "You read about these things in the papers or see them on TV, but never think they will happen to you. There isn't a textbook to read to learn how to cope with this.

"All different feelings creep in - I was scared, paranoid, angry, frightened. I have not been able to grieve. I won't be able to until I get the call and hear someone has been charged with our Terry's murder. I can't allow myself to grieve - I don't think I could."

Four people have been arrested in connection with Terry's death, with Sarah confirming a number of people have given her the name of the man suspected of carrying out the attack. But she said the investigation has been unable to find definitive eye-witness accounts to tie the suspect to the location at the time of the attack. She said: "Where I live in a lovely community. I've known everyone here for a long time.

"Sometimes people give me a call and say the man's name, but I tell them there's no point telling me, tell the police. I wouldn't wish this on anyone's family. People have to have a heart and be brave enough to stand up in court. The saying goes you get away with a few things in life, but you never get away with murder. I have a lot of time left and I won't go away until the person who killed my brother is locked up."

Sarah added her brother's murder has had a significant impact on her four children, who are aged between nine and 21. She said: "I've not shielded them from this - they deserve to know who killed their uncle and why. I have raised my girls to be honest and we live in a society where people think it's okay for murderers to walk around on the street without any repercussions.

"How has our society come to this? If people saw me in 2018 compared to now, I am a completely different person. I feel like I am the one who is serving a life sentence. Five years is long enough to wait for justice."

Kevin Clague, head of Merseyside Police's serious crime review unit, said: "It’s now five years since Terry was fatally assaulted and I have no doubt that his family are devastated they have still not got the answers they deserve. Terry was a well-known and liked member of the Norris Green community, but for some reason he was specifically targeted and subjected to a brutal assault. He never recovered from his injuries and died just a few months later.

"We remain determined to find the person responsible for Terry’s death and get justice for Terry’s death and I would urge anyone living in or around the Norris Green community who has information which could assist our investigation to get in touch."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 19100319269 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.

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