Murderer caught on CCTV moments before killing girlfriend’s brother
Watch as a murderer is captured on CCTV moments before he kills his girlfriend's brother. The footage shows Stephen Bates driving along a road.
Soon afterwards he runs over Martin O'Donovan, who had previously lived in Caerwys in Flintshire[1]. Earlier the two men had been fighting each other at a 70th birthday party.
The black and white CCTV footage shows killer Bates behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta just moments he deliberately drove into 47-year-old Mr O'Donovan.
Mr O'Donovan suffered serious head injuries after being trapped underneath the vehicle. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here[2] Advertisement Advertisement
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His uncle and cousins managed to free him from the wreckage, however he subsequently died in hospital, reports the Liverpool ECHO.[3]
Bates, of Herondale Road in Mossley Hill, told the officers who arrested him "I know what I've done, I've f***ed up". He was found guilty of Mr O'Donovan's murder earlier this month following a trial.
A Liverpool Crown Court jury had heard how Bates and Mr O'Donovan had met for the first time on April 19 this year, the day of the murder.
While the two were initially said to have "hit it off straight away", they later became embroiled in a drunken punch up when the 42-year-old defendant apparently insisted on driving home, despite having downed a cocktail of Jagerbombs, Stella Artois, Red Bull and vodka.
Martin O'Donovan, who died -Credit:Merseyside Police
He then allegedly threatened that he would "pay someone to come and get" the other man before returning to Stonyhurst Road in Woolton, where Mr O'Donovan was sitting outside. He then "quite deliberately drove onto the pavement and ran over Martin O'Donovan, trapping him under [his] car." Advertisement
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After the trial, Merseyside Police shared CCTV footage of Bates in his car.
It shows Bates driving down Stonyhurst Road just moments before hitting Mr O'Donovan, apparently driving at speed over a speed bump, resulting in a loud crash.
The force also shared a 999 call made by Bates, in which he could be heard saying: "Yeah I've ran somebody over. We had an argument and then I've ran him over. I've done the crime and I'll..."
However, on police bodycam footage taken a short time later, Bates said: "[I've] done f***ing nothing wrong yeah.
Alright."
He denied murdering Mr O'Donovan, but was found guilty following a trial earlier this month. Returning to Liverpool Crown Court in order to be sentenced yesterday morning, he stood with his head bowed and showed no reaction as he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years behind bars. Advertisement
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Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "I want to begin by saying something about Martin O'Donovan, who was only 47 years of age when he died on the 19th of April this year.
"He died on what should have been a day of celebration, to mark his mother's 70th birthday.
Instead, the day ended in tragedy, with guests at the party being devastated by the violent death of a man who they loved dearly.
"To his mother, he was a man with a beautiful soul who made impact on everyone he met. His father's life has been destroyed by the loss of his best friend.
"His brother describes him as a loyal and devoted friend, a man whose energy and warmth touched many lives. He was an accomplished avionics engineer, a skilled outdoorsman and an exemplary human being.
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"His sisters have lost their protector, a man who they regarded as loving, strong and fiercely loyal.
Susanne's [Lewzey, Bates' girlfriend] grief has been made even worse by the knowledge that the man who killed her beloved brother was a man who she trusted and never thought would do anything to harm her or her family."
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References
- ^ Flintshire (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ latest court stories here (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ reports the Liverpool ECHO. (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)