Four men “motivated by vengeance and drugs” have been convicted for the “appalling” murder of a Suffolk father-of-five.

Ipswich Star: Dean Stansby Picture: SUPPLIED BY FAMILYDean Stansby Picture: SUPPLIED BY FAMILY (Image: Archant)

After more than 25 hours of deliberation, following a 65-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court, a jury of six women and three men found the group guilty of killing 41-year-old Dean Stansby.

Each unanimous decision was met with a resounding ‘yes’ from the public gallery, where Mr Stansby’s family had watched the defendants claim innocence for the last 14 weeks.

At 3.49pm on Tuesday the foreman of the jury read guilty verdicts for 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 – also convicted of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

Mr Stansby, from Trimley St Mary, was stabbed in Ancaster Road, Ipswich on the evening of Wednesday, February 8 last year.

Ipswich Star: Posters asking for the public's help in the Dean Stansby murder investigation appeared in Ipswich. Picture: ARCHANTPosters asking for the public's help in the Dean Stansby murder investigation appeared in Ipswich. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

Mr Stansby was found by a member of the public, collapsed on the ground near the junction with Ranelagh Road, at about 6.30pm and taken to Ipswich Hospital for treatment, but he died as the result of a stab wound to the abdomen about an hour later.

An investigation established that Mr Stansby had gone to buy drugs from a supply operation known as ‘AJ and Sky’, for which Islam was an organiser in London, while Parker and Ruby were local drug users hired to deal drugs provided by on the street by Kaganda – a runner – who controlled the drugs they were given and received the money from their sale.

Parker was sent to deal drugs 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 then went back to confront Mr Stansby before he was then fatally stabbed.

Ipswich Star: Police investigations following the fatal stabbing of Dean Stansby Picture: ARCHANTPolice investigations following the fatal stabbing of Dean Stansby Picture: ARCHANT

During the extensive investigation, police also uncovered a wider conspiracy to supply drugs into Ipswich by the AJ and Sky operation.

Kaganda and Islam admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs prior to the murder trial, while Ruby denied any involvement in the supply of Class A drugs – claiming he was just a user.

All four men have been remanded in custody for sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, July 30.

Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Millar said: “This was an appalling crime motivated by revenge and drugs.

“Violent crime and knife crime is a national issue, and Suffolk Constabulary are committed to tackling the issues with our partner agencies.

“The verdicts today send a clear message to those people who carry knives, pedal drugs and bring misery to our communities that they can expect to be caught and brought to justice.”

Joseph Stickings from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “The CPS worked closely with the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team to build a strong prosecution case against each of the men and we will continue to support our partners in criminal justice to bring people operating drug lines and inflicting violence on others to justice.”

Following the conviction of four men for his brother’s murder, Paul Stansby, 35, said: “No words can really explain how we’re feeling. We’re obviously pleased with the result, but there’s still the fact that Dean has been taken away from us.

“It has been hard for us to hear and understand what happened to my brother on his last night, and why a group of people made a choice to take him away from us.

“I wasn’t allowed in the court for 11 weeks [due to the possibility of being called to give evidence] and that was particularly difficult for me; to sit there, waiting to be allowed in; to comfort my family without understanding exactly what they were going through. It was soul destroying.

“I now want to see the correct sentencing – a sentencing the judge feels is necessary for what they did.

“It’s hard, because while they’ve taken something away from us, they’ve also taken something from their own families by looking at a lifetime in prison. Their families have also lost a son, or a brother, because of the decisions they made.

“Dean has a granddaughter who will never get to meet him, a son who’s just beginning to understand the world, and an oldest son whose memories of his father will grow distant as he gets older. But we have to keep those memories alive. For us, this doesn’t stop when we leave the court.

“My brother was everything. He stepped in to play dad when my father wasn’t around. He taught me everything.

“I’ve set up a charity in my brother’s memory, called the Be Lucky Anti Crime Foundation, to help target troubled youths in schools, to get them to understand that crime isn’t the way forward, and that their decisions don’t just affect their own lives, but the lives of their families and other people’s families.

“Knives have almost become a fashion accessory, and young people are almost penalised for not having one. But they need to remember they’re not just carrying an object; they’re carrying pain. When you decide to use a knife, you’re damaging someone; you’re failing to understand you can say no to pressure.

“This isn’t about culture, or rap music, it’s about you and your choice. If you’re carrying a knife because other people are doing it, you’re at risk of putting yourself in a no-win situation.”

Judge Martyn Levett commended Mr Stansby’s family for their conduct throughout the trial.