Brooklyn Bell, 19, murdered Simon McMinn following an argument over Bell’s attempt to sell cocaine to schoolchildren.
Bell, from Keighley, worked for a West Yorkshire-based county lines drug gang.
He’d gone to Skipton’s Aireville Park to sell drugs, including £60 worth of heroin and crack cocaine to Mr McMinn and a friend.
Mr McMinn and Bell began arguing, and Bell stabbed 44-year-old Mr McMinn once in the chest and twice in the back before fleeing the scene, leaving him to die.
Bell was also convicted for a similar attack on a man in Bournemouth when he was only 16 years old and working for the County Lines drug gang in London.
Following a minor disagreement, he stabbed the 54-year-old man three times in the back with a flick knife.
The victim had a collapsed lung and required emergency surgery, but she survived.
He fled, writing drill rap lyrics glorifying the stabbing and boasting that he wouldn’t be apprehended.
I was relieved to leave that crime scene.” There is no evidence. So the feds won’t be able to apprehend me,” he wrote.
While on the run, Bell went to Skipton on the afternoon of July 28 last year to sell drugs, claiming to have sold about £500 worth before meeting McMinn that evening.
Witnesses who saw Bell in Aireville Park described him as “dodgy,” with a do-rag on his head and low-slung jeans that made him stand out.
Mr McMinn and his friend approached Bell to buy drugs, but Mr McMinn also challenged him after discovering that Bell had earlier in the day offered cocaine to a 14-year-old schoolboy.
As the argument heated up, Bell stabbed his victim three times with a knife. He then bolted.
As police and paramedics responded to a 999 call from Mr McMinn’s friend and attempted to save Mr McMinn’s life, Bell took a taxi back to Keighley. Mr McMinn, on the other hand, died as a result of severe blood loss caused by internal injuries.
The Major Investigation Team (MIT) of North Yorkshire Police launched a large-scale investigation to gather evidence and identify a suspect.
Officers searching the area discovered a balaclava that had been dropped nearby, as well as drug wraps that contained traces of Bell’s DNA.
In order to apprehend Bell, officers from the MIT went to the homes of his associates and family in Keighley and Huddersfield. Three days later, Bell turned himself in at Huddersfield Police Station.
He’d shaved his distinctive dreadlocks and discarded his clothing, cellphone, and the weapon used in the attack.
Bell refused to answer any questions when arrested and interviewed, but he was charged with murder and remanded in custody to face trial.
North Yorkshire Police then collaborated with Dorset Police to investigate the Bournemouth incident, which resulted in Bell being charged again.
Bell claimed to be a low-level drug pusher for a county-wide drug gang that infiltrates smaller rural towns and sells drugs over the phone through a network of dealers, according to evidence presented at Bradford Crown Court. He delivered drug orders in West and North Yorkshire using a phone line.
Following a trial in January 2022, Bell was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter in the death of Simon McMinn.
He was sentenced to ten years and four months in prison today in the same court for manslaughter, grievous bodily harm, and supplying heroin and crack cocaine.
Bell was of low intelligence, the court heard, and had suffered from poor parenting and a lack of role models.
However, the judge stated that he willingly became involved in drug dealing in West Yorkshire because he desired a “hard man image.” He stated that he was satisfied Bell brought the knife to the park meeting, which Bell had denied.
After determining that Bell was a danger to the public, the judge granted him an extended three-year licence when he was released from prison.
Detective Inspector Steve Menzies, Senior Investigating Officer, led a major investigation into Mr McMinn’s death.
It took thousands of manhours and a diverse range of police teams, including detectives, forensic experts, uniformed officers, specialist search teams, including the regional underwater search team, intelligence teams, and others, as well as close collaboration with Dorset Police.
Simon McMinn was a son, brother, and father who lost his life in Aireville Park in Skipton due to the illegal carrying of a knife,” DI Menzies said after Bell was sentenced.
It’s a sad indictment of the harm drugs cause in communities and the devastation they cause in families.” While I know Mr McMinn’s family is devastated by their loss, I hope Bell’s sentence brings them some solace.
County lines drug dealing adds a new dimension, bringing misery and conflict to otherwise low-crime communities like Craven.
We have dedicated teams that work tirelessly to rid our communities of drugs and prevent dealers from other areas from wreaking havoc on North Yorkshire.
Dorset Police takes all offences involving knife crime extremely seriously,” said Detective Constable Ian Caddy of Bournemouth CID. “We will work tirelessly to ensure offenders such as Brooklyn Bell are brought to justice.”
“This attack left Bell’s victim with serious injuries, but it’s a good thing they weren’t more serious or even fatal.”
Dorset is one of the safest places to live in the country, with less knife crime than in other areas.” However, we are not complacent, and we remain proactive in our efforts to educate our communities and prevent knife crime.
