Man found guilty of murdering Craig Yorke
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A man has been found guilty of the murder of Craig Yorke following a dispute in Eldon Lane.
Mr Yorke was stabbed three times during the attack in the High Street in the early hours of December 14 last year.
Despite the best efforts of the emergency services and passers-by who had answered his call for help, Craig sadly died a short time later from his injuries.
An investigation, led by Durham Constabulary’s Major Crime Team, was launched, and resulted in five people being arrested and charged with murder.
Following a seven-week trial at Teesside Crown Court, Jack Lawson, 18 was found guilty of murder.
The other three men and one boy who cannot be named for legal reasons were acquitted.
The police investigation uncovered phone messages about a planned fight at what is known locally as the ‘Old Lines’ in Eldon Lane on the evening of December 13. Further calls and messages showed that Mr Yorke was not the intended target.
Jack Lawson pleaded guilty to manslaughter but claimed that he had not intended to kill or cause serious harm. He had unlawfully brought a knife to the scene of a fight, which he ultimately used to stab the victim during an outburst of extreme violence.
A Durham Constabulary spokesman said: “Lawson was intent on seeking retribution that night, arming himself with a weapon and had planned what he was going to do.
“He knew what the consequences of these actions could be yet carried on regardless.
“There is no justification for carrying a knife or any kind of weapon, not only can you seriously hurt or kill someone by doing so, carrying a knife makes you more likely to become a victim.
“Nothing can change what happened, but I hope Craig’s family can take some comfort knowing Lawson will be behind bars for a significant number of years.
“This has been a complex investigation and the professionalism and tenacity of the first responding officers and investigation team, together with support of the members of the public who came to help, has ensured we were able to bring Lawson to justice.”
Jack Lawson will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on October 7.
In a statement his family said: “Nothing will ever bring Craig back.
“We want people to remember him for the fun-loving character he was, the life and soul of the party, always putting others before himself.
“Craig was stolen from us through knife crime, it has destroyed our family and has had a devastating impact on the whole community.
“Our message is to leave the knife at home – there are always consequences to your actions.”
If you are worried that someone you know is carrying a knife, don’t stay silent. Call the police on 101 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.