A serial thug released early from prison under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial jail overcrowding scheme killed a man on the very day he was set free. Liam Matthews was part of a gang of three who hunted victim Lewis Bell, 26, “like prey” before he was fatally stabbed in the back. The shock attack occurred just hours after Matthews, 26, walked free from his prison cell under the Government’s early release scheme to ease chronic overcrowding in the nation’s jails.
On Thursday, a jury at Teesside Crown Court found Sean McLeod, 23, guilty of murder and Matthews and accomplice Ashton White, 18, guilty of manslaughter. All three had denied murder, blaming each other for Mr Bell’s death. There were cheers from the public gallery as McLeod was convicted. Jurors heard the feud was connected to a drug den in Norton Road, Stockton, whose management suspected Mr Bell of robbing other visitors.
One claimed they had only meant to give him “a kicking” but instead he died from the savage attack.
The attackers ran away and disposed of weapons and clothing with the help of a fourth man, Macauley Wright, who also arranged a taxi to take them away from the scene.
Wright, 26, was convicted by the jury of assisting an offender.
Matthews was sentenced to 22 months in prison for violent disorder at HMP Holme House in December 2023 but was released from early at 10am on September 18.
Later that evening Mr Bell, a father-of-one, was stabbed to death.
Matthews was previously convicted after a street fight outside a similar drug den in 2023.
Alongside two other men, he kicked and stamped on a victim called Nathan Sloan in the street. He was sentenced to 22 months for that crime and told he would serve 11. He was charged on December 7 2023 and released on September 18 last year.
A 5 News investigation found that on the day Mr Bell was killed, Matthews met with his probation officer and attended an appointment at a jobcentre, before going to a pub and then the crack house – where he spent £130 of his savings plus his £96 prison release grant on crack cocaine.
Matthews had known Mr Bell for about 10 years after they met at a school for children with behavioural problems and had been friends.
On the night Mr Bell died, Matthews looked out of a window and saw Ashton White and Shaun McCloud fighting with him in the street. Matthews grabbed a chisel and ran out.
He admitted to chasing Mr Bell and “chopping” him three times with the chisel before stamping on him. CCTV played in court showed Matthews repeatedly slashing at Mr Bell while he cried “no”. Matthews was arrested the following day.
Killers Liam Matthews, Sean McLeod and Ashton White (Image: Cleveland Police)
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our thoughts today are with the family and friends of Lewis Bell.
“This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. Had that happened, the police would have been forced to stop making arrests, and the public would have been put at unconscionable risk.
“We had no choice but to introduce an emergency early release programme. We did so with protections in place, including exclusions for those serving for serious violent crimes. Like with all Serious Further Offences, this case will be investigated fully so we can take action where necessary.”
Det Ch Insp David Glass, from Cleveland Police, and the senior investigating officer on the case, said: “Lewis Bell did not deserve to die. This was a pre-planned, sustained attack by a gang who chased him down with weapons in the street. They inflicted a number of stab wounds, one of which was fatal and they left him to die. As such I am satisfied with the convictions handed to the defendants today.”
Liam Bell’s family paid tribute to him following the verdict and said: “As a family we are devastated we have lost a much-loved father, son, brother, and uncle.
“Lewis was killed in the most brutal and heartless way. We hold all three males convicted responsible for his murder despite the convictions for the manslaughter. All of our family have suffered as a result of the actions of his killers.
“Having to sit through the trial and listen to the details of his murder is the hardest thing we have ever done. We hope that the convictions of his killers today would bring some form of closure, however we will never get over the loss of Lewis and now we must rebuild our lives without him. We will love and miss him every day.”
