Martin Wilson Found Guilty of Murdering Stephen Riley in Chilling Stabbing
Horror on Darley Avenue
Martin Wilson, 38, has been convicted of stabbing Stephen Riley to death in Athersley on the night of June 26. Stephen, 43, frantically banged on a neighbour’s window on Darley Avenue, pleading for help after being stabbed twice. Emergency services found him unconscious, slumped over a garden wall and not breathing.
Despite rushed hospital treatment, Stephen died at Barnsley Hospital just after midnight on June 27.
Heated Argument Ends in Bloody Attack
During the week-long trial, the court heard Wilson and Stephen argued at Wilson’s home in Monsal Crescent shortly before 11pm. Neighbours overheard the shouting before Stephen left on foot. CCTV footage then showed Wilson storming inside, grabbing his bike, and chasing Stephen down the street.
Detective Chief Inspector Jude Ashmore blasted Wilson for his lies. “Wilson’s story was completely implausible. He tried to cover his tracks with lies and fake ignorance,” she said. “The jury saw through it.”
Lie Unmasked by Phone Records and CCTV
Wilson claimed he didn’t realise he stabbed Stephen until reading about it on Facebook the next day. But brutal wounds told a different story. Phone records revealed Wilson called his girlfriend, Julie Evans, 41, who met him nearby. Together, they dumped the murder weapon and hid Wilson’s bike the next day.
Accomplice Caught and Charged
Both Wilson and Evans were arrested within days. Evans was charged with assisting an offender after police quickly debunked their alibi that they stayed home all evening. Evans pleaded guilty on December 8 and awaits sentencing on December 21.
Wilson was found guilty after a five-hour jury deliberation and will be sentenced on December 17. DCI Ashmore paid tribute to her team and expressed her sympathy for Stephen’s family:
“My thoughts now remain with Stephen’s family, who I hope can find some closure in today’s verdict.”
