Reece Radford Murdered After Heroic Intervention in Sheffield
Reece Radford, 26, lost his life after stepping in to stop a 17-year-old girl being attacked in Sheffield city centre on 29 September last year. The brave act proved fatal when he was stabbed in the chest and died six days later.
Two Men Found Guilty of Murder at Sheffield Crown Court
Dereck Owusu, 39, from Rotherham, and Louis James, 46, from Sheffield, faced a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Today, the jury handed down a unanimous guilty verdict for Reece’s murder.
Drunken Night Turns Deadly
DCI Rebecca Hodgman, lead investigator, revealed the chilling events. “Owusu and James had been drinking and bumped into a teenage girl they knew, who was sitting at a bus stop on Arundel Gate just before 1am.”
- The trio shared alcohol.
- At around 2.20am, Owusu punched the girl in the face.
- Reece, out with friends nearby, saw the assault and stepped in.
- He punched Owusu, triggering a violent fight.
- The fight spilled into the road where Reece was kicked repeatedly.
- The attack ended with Reece collapsing after a stab wound to his chest.
The court heard that Owusu and James briefly left but returned threatening bystanders with a belt before finally fleeing.
Investigation and Brutal Truths Uncovered
CCTV tracked the suspects through Sheffield city centre. Police soon arrested them for attempted murder, later upgrading charges to murder following Reece’s death on 4 October 2022.
The murder weapon, a knife, was found dumped in a drain on Shude Hill. CCTV footage showed James in that area shortly after the attack.
“I offer my sincere condolences to Reece’s family. Losing a loved one like this is devastating. I hope today’s verdict brings some comfort,” said DCI Hodgman. “Owusu and James claimed ignorance about the stabbing, but the jury saw through their lies. Thanks to the hard work of police, justice for Reece has been served.”
Owusu and James were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 4 May 2023.
