Jack Naylor aged 22, of Irvine Avenue, Boothstown, has been handed a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of murder following a two-week trial.
A jury found Naylor guilty of murdering his mother’s partner, Thomas Gomm, and a racially aggravated public order against an emergency worker.
Naylor had pleaded not guilty to all charges and stood trial at Minshull Street, Crown Court where he continued to deny the charges.
The court heard that Naylor was at his home address on Irvine Avenue in December last yearwith his mum and Thomas to celebrate his own birthday.
They were drinking alcohol, but after a while Naylor began to shout and behave aggressively.
He then tried to assault his mum before she left the address to go to her friend’s house on Leigh Road, as Thomas had told Naylor to “leave her alone”.
Shortly after, Naylor followed his mum to the address on Leigh Road. He had blood on his hands and clothing, and he banged on the door to be let inside.
The friend was at the address on Leigh Road and let him inside. Naylor told her to “be a good girl or you’ll get what Thomas got but worse”.
She fled the address and went to another address. It was at this point that police were called to Leigh Road.
Naylor’s mum barricaded herself in a bedroom which Naylor caused damage to in order to enter the room.
Police found Thomas inside the address, seriously injured having been assaulted. Thomas was treated at the address and taken to hospital.
Naylor was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Thomas and further arrested on suspicion of assaulting two emergency workers and racially aggravated public order due to the circumstances of his arrest.
Two days later Thomas sadly succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital. A murder investigation was immediately launched, and Naylor was further arrested on suspicion of murder.
Thomas’s family said: “No sentence can bring Thomas back, but we feel that the jury made the right decision and we take comfort in that. Not a day goes by without thinking of Thomas, he will be in our hearts forever.
“We want to thank DS Smeeton, the prosecution barristers and the investigation team who have worked really hard to secure this outcome.
“The support during the trial has been really amazing, from everyone involved.”
