Grandfather’s Killers Jailed Forever
Three men have been sentenced to life in prison for the tragic murder of a man in his own home. Barry Dawson, a beloved grandfather, was shot through the living room window of his terraced house in Stanley, County Durham, on April 5th.
After a trial that wrapped up in October at Teesside Crown Court, Sean Reay, 30, from Sabin Terrace in Stanley, was found guilty of murdering a 60-year-old man. He was convicted alongside Kelvin Lawson, 38, and 22-year-old Thomas Sterling.
Reay received a minimum sentence of 32 years. Lawson, who lived on Frosterley Gardens in Stanley and broke the downstairs window to give Reay a better shot, was handed a minimum term of 28 years.
Sterling, residing on The Avenue in Stanley, was given a minimum term of 26 years. The judge noted that he was involved in a “show of strength” on the street that day.
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service commented after their conviction: “The shot hit Barry in the chest, damaging his heart, lung, and liver, and he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.”
“Following the shooting, Sean Reay fled the Durham area and was later arrested in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Dawson had lived in the street for more than two decades and was a well-liked member of his community.
The shocking doorbell footage caught the shooting and then Mr Dawson’s son, Shane, shouting: “They shot my dad.”
Mr Justice Cotter said: “This was an extraordinary crime in an ordinary residential street.
“It was the sort of thing most people only see in television or films, and then not in this country.”
In a victim impact statement, Mr Dawson’s partner, Sarah Hopwood, said the man people knew as Buck was an “adored father and grandfather”.
She said: “This horrendous crime has broken our hearts and it is something we will never recover from.”
The court learned that Reay was out for revenge after a confrontation outside his home earlier that day, which was thought to be linked to drugs. He claimed a man had threatened to set his house on fire.
Reay’s gang believed the person they were after was inside Mr. Dawson’s house, so they planned to draw him out by smashing windows.
Mr. Dawson, who had been resting upstairs and had no involvement in the earlier incident, came downstairs to see what all the commotion was about.
Mr. Justice Cotter noted that Reay was the leader, while Lawson and Sterling acted as his “key lieutenants.”
The judge remarked that the three men operated under a code that viewed the police as their adversaries.
“You can reflect on where your code has got you during your decades in prison,” he said.
“Until you reject the code, you will not be safe to rejoin society.”
Reay brought in Kevin Dorward, 38, to drive them to the scene of the shooting, and his cousin Keith Dorward, 48, tagged along as well.
While they were acquitted of murder, they did admit to trying to cover their tracks by attempting to burn the getaway car.
Kevin Dorward’s partner, Michaela Hetherington, also confessed to obstructing justice by falsely telling the police that the car had been stolen.
The judge sentenced Kevin Dorward to 20 months in prison, Keith Dorward to 16 months, both of whom were residing in Annfield Plain at the time, and Hetherington received a 15-month sentence, which means she will be released right away after serving 246 days on remand.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Fuller, who is the Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Hamnett at Durham Constabulary, stated: “I hope this investigation sends a strong message to criminals that we will not tolerate such extreme violence on our streets.”
“There is no place for guns on our streets, and we take a zero-tolerance approach in tackling and bringing to justice those who choose to carry such weapons.
“Barry Dawson needlessly lost his life that afternoon because of the despicable actions of these three men. My thoughts remain with those who loved him.”
Grandfather’s Killers Jailed Forever
