Three men handed life sentences over fatal revenge hit on Barry Dawson
Innocent granddad shot in botched payback attack
Barry Dawson, 60, was tragically murdered after being shot through his living room window while children played outside. The horrific incident unfolded in Stanley, County Durham, on Saturday April 5.
Following a trial at Teesside Crown Court, ringleader Sean Reay, 30, along with Kelvin Lawson, 38, and Thomas Sterling, 22, were convicted of murder.
Reay received a 32-year minimum sentence. Lawson and Sterling, described as his ‘key lieutenants’, were jailed for at least 28 and 26 years respectively.
Revenge gone deadly – gang target wrong house
The court heard Reay was hunting revenge after a suspected drug-related dispute earlier that day, where he claimed someone threatened to burn his house down. Believing the culprit was inside Barry’s home, the gang launched their attack.
- Lawson smashed the downstairs window to give Reay a clear shot.
- Sterling stood guard outside as a show of force.
- A single bullet hit Barry in the chest, piercing his heart, lung, and liver, killing him instantly.
Barry was a beloved local who had lived in the street for over 20 years. The chilling moment was caught on doorbell footage, which captured the shooting and Barry’s son shouting: “They shot my dad.”
Justice served, but pain remains
‘This was an extraordinary crime in an ordinary residential street,’ said Mr Justice Cotter. ‘The sort of thing people only see on TV or films, and then not here.’
Barry’s partner Sarah Hopwood described him as an ‘adored father and grandfather’. She said: “This horrendous crime has broken our hearts and it is something we will never recover from.”
Other accomplices involved in the getaway were jailed for lesser offences:
- Kevin Dorward, the driver, jailed 20 months.
- Keith Dorward, who accompanied them, jailed 16 months.
- Kevin’s partner Michaela Hetherington, jailed 15 months for lying to police.
All admitted perverting the course of justice by trying to destroy the stolen getaway car.
Detective vows zero tolerance on gun crime
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Fuller said: “We will not tolerate such extreme violence on our streets. There is no place for guns here.”
“Barry Dawson needlessly lost his life because of these despicable actions. My thoughts remain with his loved ones.”
This brutal killing sends a stark warning: revenge attacks with firearms will be met with the full force of justice.
