Killer who knifed man to death in a street fight jailed for minimum of 19 years

A knifeman who murdered a love rival during a "voluntary, vicious and mutual" armed fight in the street has been jailed for life.

Mohammed Rahman, 44, and Alan Stokoe, 26, who had both had relationships Laura McGee, clashed outside her home in the early hours of July 21 last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard during the violence Rahman murdered Mr Stokoe with a knife blow to the neck which severed vital veins and arteries.

The court heard in the nine minutes it took for emergency services to arrive at the scene, Rahman and McGee came up with a "pack of lies" about Mr Stokoe going into her house with two knives and having to be disarmed.

Rahman, of Eamont Gardens, Hartlepool, denied murder and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice but was found guilty by a jury of both charges after a trial and has now been jailed for life.

He must serve at least 19 years behind bars before he can apply for parole.

McGee, 30, of Melville Street, Chester-le-Street, who admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, has been jailed for six months.

Mr Justice Goss said the precise "catalyst" for the explosion of violence that night is known only to the two men involved.

But the judge added: "However, I have no doubt that its origins lie in the fact you Mohammed Rahman had been with a relationship with Laura McGee, you had a child together, you were wanting to maintain some form of relationship with each other.

"You Laura McGee had, more recently, been in a tempestuous relationship with Alan Stokoe."

The judge told Rahman, who has previous convictions for violence and sexual assault: "Had the offence not been captured on CCTV you may well have got away with your crime."

The judge told McGee: "You chose to lie to the police."

In a heartbreaking statement, which she read from the witness box, Mr Stokoe's mum Joanne Stokoe said: "This has left a huge hole in my heart, left me with emptiness and darkness I cannot seem to overcome.

"I feel I cannot live without him.

"I physically ache because I cannot see him again. The pain can be overbearing."

Fighting back tears, she added: "Most days I just want to hide away.

"I wish just to be able to see him and hear his voice one more time.

"There will be no more moments, no more hugs or dances or conversations, no more laughs and tears."

The court heard McGee had previously lived next door to Mrs Stokoe and in the months before the murder there had been a history of bad feelings.

The court heard McGee's dog had also caused fatal injuries to Mrs Stokoe's dog.

Prosecutor Jamie Hill QC told the court during the trial Rahman was in an "on-off" relationship with McGee and Mr Stokoe was her recent ex.

Mr Hill said around 2am on the morning of July 21 last year, Mr Stokoe entered Melville Street, in Chester le Street, where Miss McGee lived, with a "knife in one hand and a mobile phone in the other".

The court heard Mr Stokoe walked towards Miss McGee's home and was "gesticulating with the knife", with his mobile phone held to his ear but then walked away.

Moments later, Rahman emerged from Miss McGee's house, appeared to pass a phone to her and had a "very large kitchen knife" in his hand, the court was told.

He then appeared to "shrug his shoulders" and go back into the house.

Mr Hill said it was "about one minute" later, Mr Stokoe walked back towards the house.

Mr Hill added: "At almost exactly the same time, Mr Rahman appeared again in the open doorway and began to move towards Mr Stokoe.

"Both men increased their pace.

"Both men ran to meet each other.

"Both were plainly armed with their respective knives and both began to lash out at each other.

"Both struck a number of blows.

"Both tussled and grappled with each other and flailed about with their weapons.

"That short outburst of violence ended when Mr Rahman put his knife through the neck of Mr Stokoe.

"Immediately Mr Stokoe staggered, was seen to prop himself, momentarily, against the side of a car but then he fell, without breaking his fall, and lay motionless on the road."

Mr Hill said the clash was a "voluntary, vicious and mutual knife fight with consequences that, with the benefit or retrospect, were almost inevitable. They both wanted to fight with knives."

Kirsty Brimelow QC, defending Rahman, said the killer had taken the knife into the street to frighten Mr Stokoe, not to murder him, faced significant provocation and is sorry.

Daniel Cordey, defending McGee, said: "Once she had told the lie it was hard, given her frame of mind at the time for her to go back on the initial lies she had told.

"She was of the view she had been saved from the prospect of at least serious injury or more by Mr Rahman."

Detective Chief Superintendent Victoria Fuller, who led the investigation said: “This is a particularly tragic case but I hope todays sentence will offer at least some small comfort to Alan’s family who will no doubt suffer their loss for a lifetime.

“This has been a thorough investigation conducted by a team of committed Detectives who rightly pursued every line of enquiry to ensure that the truth was uncovered despite attempts to frustrate the process.”

“No sentence will ever bring Alan back but I am pleased that justice has been served.

“Our message is clear and simple – do not carry knives.”

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