Attacker admits murder of tragic Sunderland dad David Walsh

An attacker who brutally killed a Wearside dad during a horrifying street attack has admitted to his murder in court.
Murder Victim David Walsh and his wife TrishaMurder Victim David Walsh and his wife Trisha
Murder Victim David Walsh and his wife Trisha

Raymond Brown was seen by a witness to plunge a knife into a David Walsh "26 to 27 times" during a terrifying confrontation in a Sunderland back lane.

Brown, 37, of Canon Cockin Street in the city, had denied murder and violent disorder and was on trial alongside three other accused men.

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At Newcastle Crown Court Brown changed his plea to both charges to guilty.

He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trial of his co-accused.

Mr Walsh, known as Boff, died from blood loss as a result of multiple injuries after a savage beating by a mob carrying an "assortment" of weapons, it is claimed.

The 45-year-old had gone to the lane between Canon Cockin Street and Fuller Road in Hendon, Sunderland, on November 20 last year when he found out his

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son David Richardson, aka Walsh, had been attacked, jurors have heard.

One witness to the shocking scenes of violence described to detectives during a video interview what he had seen that night.

During the interview, he said: "Raymond started stabbing into Boff's left side, 26 to 27 times, it looked about that, it looked in the 20s, it wasn't

single figures, it was quite a bit.

"He was going for quite a long time."

Charles Lamont, 40, of Villette Road, his son Dalton Barnett, 19, of Fuller Road and Patrick Duggan, 19, of Palmstead Place, all in Sunderland continue to deny murder and violent disorder.

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The same witness described during his video interview seeing Mr Walsh fall to the ground as he came under brutal attack by a group of men.

He told detectives: "He didn't say one word, he didn't say 'help', nothing.

"He didn't even look like it was hurting him or nothing, he didn't even budge.

"He wasn't fighting back or anything, not when they all started. He was just letting them take it out on him.

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"It was like he wasn't bothered. He seemed as though he was willing to take it. The only thing I seen him do was protect his head, when he went down."

The witness told jurors he saw a woman passer-by trying to protect the injured man as he went to the ground but his attackers continued the violent onslaught.

He said: "She was standing over him, with her arms out, over Boff, to try to protect him.

"They were still waking him from the side, still getting wacks underneath."

The witness said the woman ended up sitting on the ground, with Mr Walsh's head in her lap, when his attackers "scattered".

The trial continues.