Trio are jailed for life for murder of innocent grandad

JUDGE SAID THEY 'WORKED AS A TEAM' TO CARRY OUT 'EXTRAORDINARY CRIME'

- By DANIEL HALL Reporter [e-mail]

THREE men who were found guilty of murder after the shooting of a County Durham grandad which was captured on CCTV have been jailed for life.

Barry Dawson, 60, was shot through the broken living room window of his terraced house in South Moor, Stanley, on April 5.

Emergency services attended, but nothing could be done to save him.

Sean Reay, 30, of Sabin Terrace, Stanley; Kelvin Craig Lawson, 38, of Frosterley Gardens, Stanley; and Thomas Lee Sterling, 22, of The Avenue, Stanley; were found guilty of Mr Dawson's murder at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, October 31, with Mr Justice Cotter saying that the men had turned a residential street into “something you'd only see on TV”

The men returned to the same court yesterday for sentencing.

The court heard that Barry Dawson had been enjoying a normal Saturday, going for breakfast with a friend in a cafe on the morning and spending the afternoon with his partner.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Dawson's partner Sarah Hopwood referred to him as “Buck”, which he was affectionately known as.