Three teenagers convicted of kicking father to death

By Mark Hughes

Published: 17 January 2008

Three teenagers were found guilty yesterday of the murder of Garry Newlove, who was beaten to death by youths outside his home.

Mr Newlove, 47, suffered massive head injuries after being attacked by a gang he had confronted about vandalism to cars outside his home in Warrington, Cheshire, in August.

During the trial, Chester Crown Court heard how he was punched to the ground and "kicked like a football". He died two days later.

The jury yesterday convicted Adam Swellings, 19, from Crewe; Stephen Sorton, 17, from Warrington, and Jordan Cunliffe, 16, also from Warrington. They will be sentenced later. Two other teenagers – a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old – were cleared of the murder. After the verdict, Mr Justice Andrew Smith lifted reporting restrictions barring the naming of the two convicted juveniles.

He revealed that Swellings had been released from custody on bail on 10 August last year – just hours before the attack. One of the conditions of his bail was that he was to stay out of Warrington.

Ian Rushton, for the prosecution, said: "They did not stop kicking Mr Newlove even while he was lying on the ground dying from his injuries."