Murdered Gateshead dad Gary Belfield would have had "special" Christmas with his grandchildren

Murdered dad Gary Belfield would have enjoyed a special Christmas with his children and grandchildren had he not been killed. Three teenagers are facing life behind bars after they were convicted of murdering the loving father-of-six at his Gateshead home, dad and trying to kill his son, Luke Williams. The former Amazon delivery driver had moved from Manchester to Tyneside five years before he was killed, at the flat on Elliott Drive in Felling.

Gary's daughter Nicole Williams, who lives in Oldham in Greater Manchester, has previously told the Chronicle how she had recently rekindled her relationship with her dad before he was killed. And Gary, 40, had been due to meet her three-year-old son Presley for the first time when he died. Now Luke has revealed how this Christmas would have been a special one for Gary and his family had his life not been cut short by the senseless attack.



The 22-year-old, who has since returned to Manchester, said: "It's just heartbreaking, Christmas is going to be very different this year. I think it would have been a special family Christmas this year." "My dad loved all kinds of holiday.

On Christmas Day it will just feel like someone is missing." 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 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”. Leandro Lopes, 18, and a 15-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy were convicted of murder and attempted murder.

Lopes, of Archer Street, Wallsend, and the two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced on January 30. Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp community for all the latest court and crime news sent direct to your phone. In this private group, you can expect the day's top court and crime stories, including breaking news and live blogs To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device.

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