Life for Reece McHutcherson Over Colchester Stabbing
Reece McHutcherson plunged a knife five times into Murdoch Brown, leaving him to bleed out in the streets of Colchester. The brutal attack hit in the early hours of 7 May 2019, in the Greenstead area, after Murdoch and his brother Robert arrived to settle a debt.
Debt Trouble Turns Deadly
Robert Brown owed £300 to a drugs gang and planned to explain how he’d pay it back. He was directed by gang member Toyn Williams to Buffett Way. There, he met McHutcherson and Jay Dice.
Robert assured them he’d repay the debt the next day, but suddenly Dice and McHutcherson whipped out large kitchen knives. The brothers fled as the stabbing unfolded. Neighbours rushed to help Murdoch and called emergency services, but the 31-year-old tragically died shortly after.
Court Verdicts: Who’s Guilty?
- McHutcherson, 20, of Pillow Way, Buckingham, was found guilty of murder and jailed for life, with a minimum 20-year sentence. He had also admitted involvement in class A drug supply but was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm.
- Jay Dice, 23, from Leytonstone, was convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and drug supply involvement. He was found not guilty of murder and grievous bodily harm. The jury couldn’t decide on a manslaughter charge.
- Toyn Williams, 29, from Hale End, east London, was convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and drug supply. He was acquitted of murder, manslaughter, and grievous bodily harm.
- Kayley Hodgkinson, 32, a runner for the drug line from Cedars Road, Colchester, was found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice but not guilty of assisting an offender.
Dice, Williams, and Hodgkinson are set to be sentenced on Monday 29 March.
