Gary Belfield death probe continues as assisting offender suspects remain under investigation
by Sophie Doughty · ChronicleLiveThe probe into murdered dad Gary Belfield's death is today continuing as two suspects remain under investigation.
Three teenagers are today facing life behind bars after they were convicted of murdering the loving dad at his Gateshead home, dad and trying to kill his son, Luke Williams.
But killers Leandro Lopes, 18, and a 15-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy were not the only people arrested as part of the probe into 40-year-old Gary's death. Murder detectives initially held eight suspects. And today the Chronicle can reveal that while three of the remaining suspects have been told they will face no further action, two remain under police investigation.
They are a 51-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man who were each arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how the attack on Gary and Luke was orchestrated by the 15-year-old girl who watched through the window as Lopes and the boy launched their savage assault, in April.
The father and son, both originally from Manchester, were repeatedly knifed in the Felling flat. Gary died of his injuries but Luke managed to escape.
During the trial, Peter Moulson KC, prosecuting, told jurors how at just after 9pm on April 27 a member of the public contacted the emergency services to report the stabbing after Luke staggered towards his garage shouting for help.
Jurors were told he had suffered stab wounds to his elbow, shoulder, lower back and had sharp force injuries to his hands. Luke told the man he had just ran from his home, nearby, in Elliott Drive, Felling, after being attacked there and said he was concerned about his dad, who was still inside.
When police went there, they found Gary lying in the living room slumped on the sofa. He was covered in blood, unresponsive, pale and not breathing, the court heard. He had suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper and lower back, face, head, thigh, the sole of his foot and arms. The former Amazon delivery driver was pronounced death at the scene.
Luke, who was 21 at the time, told police he and his dad had been for a drink that evening at a local pub before returning home to check on their dog. They were then confronted by two men in the hallway. One attacked Luke while the other repeated stabbed his father. Luke said when he left via the front door he was chased for a short distance by his attacker. He said as he ran away he noticed a female who prosecutors said was the female defendant.
Mr Moulson said the prosecution case was that it did not matter she did not enter the home and that she was “part of a joint plan to cause at least serious harm to Mr Williams and Mr Belfield and that by her organisation of this attack she is, we contend, just as guilty as the two men who went into the house armed in the way they were”.
The court heard the girl told someone afterwards that she had “watched it through the window and they stabbed him to bits”.
Jurors heard she also made references to someone having had a previous falling-out with Gary and Luke and made allegations about them and allegedly suggested violence be used, including by stabbing. Mr Moulson said the injuries suffered by the two men indicate the attack was “sustained and determined”.
Lopes, 18, of Archer Street, Wallsend, and the two teenagers will be sentenced on January 30.
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