Five Jailed for Life Over Brutal Sedgley Murder
Five men have been locked up for life after their savage murder of a young dad in Sedgley last summer. Shane Jones (26), Wayne Burke (23), Shaquel Halliday (22), Adam Ashwin (20), and Sebastian Jones (19) were all convicted of killing 24-year-old Reece Cox on August 15 last year. Ryan Nicklin (22) was found guilty of manslaughter.
Night Out Ends in Brutal Attack
Reece had been enjoying a night out with mates at the Clifton Public House in Sedgley. Near the end of the evening, the group split up to grab some food before heading home.
Two men Reece met bumped into teen Joe Williams by accident. Immediately, a vicious brawl broke out. Adam Ashwin dragged one man into the road and back towards the pub.
Reece, described as a “gentle giant” who would always step in to help, tried to break up the fight.
But Ashwin and his gang turned on Reece, savagely beating him to death. The post-mortem revealed blunt force trauma to Reece’s head as the cause of death.
Swift Justice: Jury Finds All Guilty
The jury took just five and a half hours to convict all six men. In addition to murder and manslaughter charges, they were found guilty of violent disorder and actual bodily harm.
- Shane Jones, Wayne Burke, and Shaquel Halliday each got life with a minimum of 18 years.
- Sebastian Jones received life with at least 17 years behind bars.
- Adam Ashwin, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter but was convicted of murder, was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 and a half years.
- Ryan Nicklin was sentenced to 12 years for manslaughter and related offences.
- Joe Williams got a 10-month suspended sentence and must complete 25 days rehabilitation.
- Tyrone Halliday received a two-year community order with unpaid work and rehab.
Family Pays Emotional Tribute
“Reece was a gentle giant. Never aggressive but would step up and front anything that wasn’t right. He always went out of his way to help others.”
“His partner and son lost their future on what should have been their six-year anniversary. The day is now a painful reminder of a senseless killing.”
“Reece and his son shared an amazing bond. It breaks our hearts to see the torment his little boy went through losing his dad at just four years old.”
“Reece was a hero that night. He lost his life saving someone else. We think about him every single day.”
Detective Praises Courage, Calls for Closure
“Reece was an innocent man just enjoying a night out who stepped in to help. Those men were looking for trouble and an accidental bump was all it took to ignite violence.”
“No sentence can bring Reece back but hopefully Reece’s family can find some closure knowing justice has been done.”
