Three inmates have been sentenced to life imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court for the murder of fellow prisoner Kyle Bevan at HMP Wakefield. Lee Newell, 57, Mark Fellows, 47, and David Taylor, 64, were convicted on 18 June 2026 after attacking Bevan in his cell on 4 November 2025. The attack was captured on CCTV and involved makeshift weapons, with the defendants intending to kill or cause serious harm. 
Brutal Prison Attack
Kyle Bevan, aged 33 and classified as a vulnerable prisoner, was stabbed over 25 times with a sharpened piece of metal taken from a television. The trio followed him into his cell on the fourth landing, a location Bevan usually avoided. The CCTV footage showed the attack lasted several minutes, after which Bevan was left to appear asleep.
Concealing The Killing
The attackers staged the scene to suggest Bevan was asleep. The prison only discovered his body the next morning during a roll call, triggering an immediate lockdown and investigation. Forensic searches found bloodied items and additional makeshift weapons in the cells of Newell, Fellows, and Taylor. 
Premeditated And Coordinated
CCTV evidence revealed the defendants had communicated and moved between cells together before entering Bevan’s cell. Taylor was observed retrieving an object before the assault, and all three left the cell minutes later. The jury determined the murder was deliberate and involved cooperation among Newell, Fellows, and Taylor.
Police Statement
Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: “This was a premeditated brutal attack carried out inside a prison by three long-term inmates. Fellows, Taylor and Newell’s actions showed a complete disregard for life and for the rules designed to keep people safe in custody. “By their very nature, prisons are designed to deny offenders of their liberty, but they also need to be environments that are kept safe from unlawful violence. “Today’s verdicts ensure the continued safety of others by holding these dangerous individuals to account and ensuring they face the full weight of the law. “It also underlines that serious offences committed in West Yorkshire’s prisons will be thoroughly investigated and robustly prosecuted.”
