Life sentence for Sunderland murderer who stabbed his student lover and left him to die alone

Furious Aaron Ray plunged a knife into Jason Brockbanks after he saw Grindr messages on his phone that showed he was interested in other men.

The killer, who had previously butchered his family's cockatiel by cutting its throat in a rage, left Mr Brockbanks to bleed to death in his bathroom at the Mansion Tyne student accommodation in Newcastle, where his body was found by staff three days later.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 24-year-old Northumbria University student, who was in third year, could have survived if medical attention had been sought after the attack last September.

Ray, 21, of Mayfield Road, Sunderland, denied the murder of Mr Brockbanks, 24, who was from Whitehaven, Cumbria, but was convicted by a jury after a trial.

Mr Justice Spencer sentenced Ray, a former student who quit university because he did not like online learning during the pandemic, to life behind bars and said he must serve a minimum of 22 years.

The judge said the evidence showed Ray had been "possessive, jealous and violent" in previous relationships and said he was "deceitful, dishonest and when drunk highly dangerous".

The court had heard the two men had enjoyed a night out together in Newcastle's Pink Triangle, an area packed with popular gay bars, and Ray had then seen Grindr messages on Mr Brockbanks phone.

The judge said it is likely Mr Brockbanks had fallen asleep when they got back to the student flat, at which point Ray recorded a video of himself scrawling through the phone, got a knife from the communal kitchen and launched the deadly attack.

Mr Brockbanks was slashed across the back before being stabbed in the side as he lay in bed under his duvet.

Justice Spencer told Ray: "I find, when he was attacked, Jason was asleep under his duvet, defenceless and in no position to defend himself against your attack.

"You have shown no remorse for your actions. You didn't call the emergency services to help Jason.

"He was bleeding profusely from the wounds, blood soaked through his duvet and sheet. He fell to the floor beside his bed, the duvet fell onto the floor and covered his phone. That's why, I find, he didn't call for help himself.

"He attempted to stand up, find his way to the bathroom, collapsed in the shower cubicle and bled to death.

"The situation was retrievable, had you sought help but you didn't."

In a heartbreaking impact statement, which he read in court, Mr Brockbanks' dad Chris said his son "hated violence" and had a "huge passion for life" and his loss has caused a huge void in their lives.

He said the cruel and senseless loss has devastated the entire family and wide circle of friends and added: "To know Jason died slowly and alone will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

"To hear his death was possibly avoidable if assistance had been sought is truly heartbreaking for us.

"We believe Jason spent his last moments looking for his mobile phone to call for help but he was unable to find the phone due to the defendant having been the last person to use it.

"I will never comprehend how a human being could walk away from Jason, lying injured in his room in such a cruel and callous manner."

He said the family will never "forgive or forget" what happened to their son.

Prosecutor David Lamb KC had told the court the Grindr messages on Mr Brockbanks' phone were the "trigger and motivating factor" for the murder.

Jurors were shown extracts of the messages that were seen on the phone by Ray just before the killing.

In one exchange, Mr Brockbanks asks if the other person is "looking for fun?" and "would you be up for some now?"

The other person indicates they are tired and Mr Brockbanks urges "it would be hot" and suggests it ould "help him sleep".

Mr Brockbanks tells the man he could "come and cuddle" him, as well as general chat about televisions in their homes.

The conversation also contains Mr Brockbanks asking about "cuddles", graphic sexual references and a photograph.

The court heard after the stabbing, Ray took the knife he had used in the killing back into the communal kitchen then left the accommodation, walked to Newcastle Central Station and got a taxi from there to Sunderland.

Three days later, on September 27, the university student accommodation manger received an email asking if she could check on Mr Brockbanks' welfare, as his parents had become concerned.

Mr Lamb told jurors: "She went to Jason's door and knocked on it. She received no response so she used her master key to enter the room.

"She went inside and she saw that the television was turned on, the bed appeared unmade and there was staining to the bedclothes and the floor carpet.

"She saw a handprint in blood on the doorframe to the ensuite bathroom and on opening that ensuite bathroom door she saw Jason Brockbanks slumped in the shower cubicle, with his legs protruding outside.

"He was very obviously dead."

A post mortem examination showed Mr Brockbanks had a stab wound to his right abdomen, which was fatal, and two knife injuries to his back.

Toby Hedorth KC, defending, said the killing was not premeditated.

Ray was just 18 when he used a knife to cut his family's cockatiel's throat.

Officers found the dead bird after being called to his home, following reports of a disturbance in January 2020.

When questioned, Ray insisted: "It's just a bird, it's not a crime."

The killer pleaded guilty at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal after the incident

He received a 12-week sentence, suspended for one year and handed a 15-year ban from owning animals.