A man who murdered a cyclist during an attack with a knuckleduster was jailed for life at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.
Cole Newark, 22, had denied the murder of father of two Darren Birks, age 40, but was found guilty earlier this week following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
On Friday Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence at Lincoln Crown Court, ordered Newark to serve a minimum of 20 years before he can be considered for parole.
The court was told that the fatal attack took place on the evening of April 29 last year as Mr Birks was cycling past a Premier shop on Shaw Road, Boston.
Darren Birks was the victim of Cole Newark’s brutal attack. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Newark, who had a grievance with Mr Birks, ran after him into Ingram Road where he carried out the attack with the knuckleduster.
The assault lasted for a very short period of time during which Newark inflicted devastating injuries to his victim, leaving him lying on the ground covered in blood.
Mr Birks suffered serious brain damage together with fractures to his right eye socket, his right jaw and his right cheekbone. He was placed in an induced coma in hospital but died on May 9.
Newark claimed he had no recollection of the incident and did not give evidence during his trial. He has never revealed his motive for the attack.
After his conviction he wrote to the judge apologising but disputing the fact that he had a knuckleduster on him at the time of the attack.
The court heard that Mr Birk’s family have been left devastated.
In a statement read out in court, his mother Nicola Birks said: “Never does a mother want a knock on the door in the middle of the night to see the police standing there. I was told that my son was not going to live.
“I watched Daz take his last breath. He has two children. I couldn’t let them see their dad with the horrific state he was in.
“Members of my family have been really struggling to deal with what happened to Darren.”
Judge Pini today told Newark: “You have shown no remorse. There is no doubt that you pose a real danger to the public.
“Darren Birks cycled towards the store and turned right into Ingram Road. You saw him and took off at speed after Darren Birks.
“You inflicted devastating injuries to him before running back towards the shop. He was left covered in blood.
“You were standing nearby saying you hadn’t done anything. It was a truly devastating and quite determined assault.”
James House QC, prosecuting, said: “Anyone who uses such a weapon, uses it for one thing and that is to cause very serious injury or indeed to kill.
“This man used a knuckle duster and caused serious head injuries, multiple fractures causing damage to the brain.
“He [Mr Birks] never regained consciousness and died ten days later.”
Two months earlier Cole used the same knuckleduster to attack a former friend, Mark Storr, during an incident outside the Stump and Candle pub in Boston.
Newark pulled the weapon from his pocket and struck Mr Storr to the head. Mr Storr was left dazed and was held up by his friends but Newark continued the attack striking him twice more. One of the blows was so powerful that it dented a titanium plate previously inserted in Mr Storr’s head.
Newark, 22, of Witham Bank West, Boston, denied the murder of Mr Birks and possession of an offensive weapon on April 29, 2019 but admitted manslaughter. He was convicted of both murder and possession of an offensive weapon.
He also denied attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Storr on February 16 last year, but pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon on that occasion. The jury found him guilty of attempting to cause GBH.
Clive Stockwell QC, in mitigation, said that Newark was only 20 at the time he carried out the attacks.
He said Newark has been diagnosed as having learning difficulties.
“There was a lack of premeditation. There was no way of Cole Newark knowing that Darren Birks was going to cycle past.
“In his letter he says he still disputes having the knuckleduster and using it in the assault on Darren Birks. In the letter he expresses apologies for his actions.”
After the trial the family said: “We as a family would like to thank everyone that has been involved in bringing us justice. In particular, Keith Roberts, Karl Whiffen, Calley Murray and all their team who we know have worked tirelessly collecting the evidence needed to bring us this verdict. We definitely wouldn’t be where we are now without them.
“It has been an extremely difficult struggle and a long time coming. But with the continued support of family and many friends we have held on to each other and come through this. I truly can’t stress enough how grateful we are to you all, you’ve held us up, and Darren can now rest in peace.
“The attack on Darren was particularly vicious, and no amount of years will fade that from our memories!
“Left in the aftermath of Cole Newark’s actions are myself along with Darren’s sister, brothers and many other relatives and friends. But most of all are Darren’s two beautiful young children who have lost their dad! They need to grow as children should now, without this shadow forever hanging over them!
“We’d also like everyone out there to remember that Cole Newark’s actions have affected two families and not ours alone.
“And finally, please, please, please do not carry a weapon! If you don’t have it, then you can’t use it!”
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The Triton Knoll wind farm off the Lincolnshire coast has successfully generated renewable electricity for the first time.
The project, which is located 32km off the Lincolnshire coast, is being constructed out of Able Seaton Port while operations and maintenance will be out of Grimsby.
This follows the installation of the first of the project’s 90 wind turbines in January 2021 and the successful energisation of the transmission system.
The wind farm will have a maximum installed capacity of 857 megawatts. Once fully operational it will be the most powerful in the global fleet of the electricity generation company RWE.
It will be capable of powering the equivalent of over 800,000 UK homes.
The first turbine installed at Triton Knoll.
Julian Garnsey, Project Director for Triton Knoll and RWE, said: “It’s fantastic to see Triton Knoll generating clean renewable electricity for the first time.
“I would like to thank the entire project team and all our supply chain partners for achieving this milestone safely and on time despite the significant challenges presented by the global pandemic.”
Flemming Ougaard, SVP, Head of Global Offshore & Construction at Vestas, said: “We are delighted that our V164-9.5 MW turbines are now generating first power at Triton Knoll.
“This project is a key milestone for Vestas, as we are installing some of the first 9.5 MW turbines off the UK coast with blades supplied from our Isle of Wight and Fawley facilities.
“With pre-assembly taking place at Able Seaton Port as well, this project is truly delivering for the UK, and powering UK homes with clean, offshore wind energy.”
The Offshore Transformer Module being delivered on Lincolnshire’s coast. | Photo: Triton Knoll
Almost 90% of children applying to Lincolnshire secondary schools will receive a place at their first choice.
Some 8,302 children applied this year, with 97% of all applicants receiving one of their three school preferences.
Some 87.8% (7,285) will receive a place at their first choice school. However, because of appeals and movement on the reserve list, it is likely that more children will be offered a place at their first choice school by the time they start in September.
Currently, 8.3% (686) have been offered a place at their second preference, with 1.1% (87) being given a spot at their third choice.
Some 243 children (2.9%) who haven’t got one of their preferred schools will be offered a place at the closest school in Lincolnshire with spaces available.
Parents have until 12pm on March 29 to lodge an appeal if they are unhappy with the offered school.
Councillor Mrs Patricia Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Children’s Services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It is good to see so many families receiving offers at their first preference school again and this figure is likely to be even higher by September.
“It is always our intention to support parents to make the application process as easy as possible and it is nice to see an increasing number of parents using the online parent portal to make their application and receive their offer on national offer day.”
A Chapel St Leonards Bar owner is awaiting the results of a review of its license after police said a “business meeting” breached COVID regulations.
Walter Sheeran, director of Teen Spirit Limited and premises licence holder at Miller’s Bar appeared before East Lincolnshire District Council’s licensing committee on Monday.
Lincolnshire Police said they had attended the bar after reports of loud music in December – during the time COVID-19 Tier 3 restrictions had closed all pubs.
Six people inside “all appeared to be in drink” and officers were told they were “at the premises for a business meeting where they had been discussing a shipment/order of stock due to arrive from China alongside COVID regulations.
However, when CCTV was later reviewed the group of five males and one female were seen drinking, getting a takeaway, drinking shots, watching football and dancing. Mr Sheeran was seen smoking in the bar area.
The meeting on Monday was held behind closed doors, however, statements from Lincolnshire Police said: “The activities seen to take place on reviewing the CCTV appear to portray something beyond what would be expected at a business meeting.
“Lincolnshire Police believe Millers Bar was used inappropriately […] and subsequently breached COVID legislation and The Health Act 2006.”
Officers said the incident showed a “clear lack of regard for the legislation” where other businesses had “chosen to be responsible” despite facing serious financial hardship.
They were “unable to offer any suitable conditions to prevent the breaches from reoccurring” and requested the licence to be revoked.
Mr Sheeran’s defence was given during the exempt part of the meeting after press and public were excluded.
Teen Spirit holds a number of licences within ELDC for sites in Skegness, Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards including alcohol premises, adult gaming centres, bingo halls, family entertainment centres and a zoo licence for an aquarium.