Four men who murdered a Suffolk father-of-five are facing life behind bars when they are sentenced tomorrow.
The defendants, who all denied murdering 41-year-old Dean Stansby from Trimley St Mary, were found guilty by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court last week after a 65-day trial.
Before the court today for the start of their sentencing hearing were Tecwyn Parker, 48, of Downside Close, Ipswich; Daniel Kaganda, 24, of north London; Amiadul Islam, 25, of Caistor Park Road, east London; and Jason Ruby, 45, of no fixed abode in Ipswich – who was also convicted of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
All four face mandatory life sentences and were due to be sentenced today.
However, the hearing was adjourned until tomorrow when the trial judge Martyn Levett will announce the minimum number of years they will have to serve before they can be considered for release by the parole board.
Mr Stansby was stabbed in Ancaster Road, Ipswich, on February 8 last year.
He was found collapsed by a member of the public at about 6.30pm and taken to Ipswich Hospital, but died as the result of a stab wound to the abdomen.
Detectives learned Mr Stansby had gone to buy drugs from a chain known as “AJ and Sky”, for which Islam was an organiser in London, while Parker and Ruby were local users hired to deal drugs provided by Kaganda – a runner – who controlled the drugs and received cash from their sale.
Parker was sent to deal to Mr Stansby but alleged that when he met him, he recognised him and thought he was going to be robbed.
He then returned to a flat where Kaganda and Ruby were located, and a series of phones calls took place with Islam in London.
Kaganda, Parker and Ruby went back to confront Mr Stansby, who was then fatally stabbed.
Kaganda and Islam admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs before the murder trial, while Ruby denied any involvement – claiming he was just a user.
Paul Mendelle QC for Parker said his client was a heroin addict and was at the lower end of the “food chain”.
Paul Keleher QC for Kaganda said the court couldn’t be sure that his client knew a knife was being taken to the scene.
Jennifer Dempster QC for Ruby said there was no evidence her client had a knife with him on the evening of Mr Stansby’s murder or that he knew anyone else was carrying a knife.
She said although he was under the influence of crack cocaine there was no evidence it had affected his behaviour.
In a victim statement read to the court today Mr Stansby’s brother Paul Stansby described the devastation felt by him and his family following his brother’s death on February 8 last year.
“This day destroyed my life and has left me feeling totally lost,” he said.
He described himself as being “broken” and said he felt the pain of his loss every day.
He said his brother had started smoking weed to “fit in with the crowd” before turning to harder drugs.
“I knew he was dependant on drugs but he was a functioning addict and could carry on with normal life,” he added.
He said Dean had tried to get away from drugs and he had tried to help him.
Mr Stansby said his brother had five children aged 23, 22, 18, 14 and six, a three-year-old grandson and an 11 month old granddaughter who was born after his death and would never get the chance to know him.
He said his brother’s death had left their devastated mother Lorraine “broken in a way that will never be fixed”.
Mr Stansby added that his two sisters had also had their lives turned upside down by what had happened.
He described his brother as a “lovable rogue”.
“He had the biggest heart. He was selfless and his motto was ‘be lucky’,” said Mr Stansby.
Mr Stansby has set up a charity called the Be Lucky Anti Crime Foundation in his brother’s memory, to help target troubled youths in schools.
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