Teenager found guilty of murdering Telford man Derek Whyteside
A teenager has today been found guilty of the murder of Telford man Derek Whyteside by a jury at Stafford Crown Court.
Earlier this year, in the afternoon of Monday 18 June, Derek Whyteside, who was 42 and from Chesterfield Road in Dawley, was hit over the back of his head with a cricket bat in Withywood Drive in Malinslee. He was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital with serious injuries, sadly he died on June 20.
Police launched a murder investigation which saw a 16-year-old boy charged with murder.
The murder investigation was led by Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Mark Bellamy.
He said: "Our thoughts are with Derek's family and friends as they continue to come to terms with his tragic death. Despite the 16-year-old claiming he acted in self-defence it is clear the jury disagreed and agreed with our evidence that he had acted with intent. We're pleased with this decision and hope it brings some kind of justice for Derek's family and friends. I would like to thank them for the dignity they've shown throughout our investigation. I'd also like to thank my team in the major investigation unit and colleagues within the CPS for the meticulous investigation that has resulted in today's verdict."
Local policing commander for Telford & Wrekin Superintendent Tom Harding said: "This incident had a significant impact on the local community, in particular people in Malinslee and I'd like to express my gratitude for the support and co-operation they displayed as we dealt with the incident and the subsequent investigation.
"We're working tirelessly with our partner agencies across Telford to make the borough even safer and we have seen reductions in violent crime. I know this is no comfort to Derek's family and friends, one incident such as this is one too many. It is my commitment to reduce violent crime even further and we will do all we can to do this.
"Violent crime will not be tolerated, our communities should not live in fear, they should be able to go about their daily lives without fearing crime or anti-social behaviour and we will relentlessly pursue those suspected of being involved in violent crime. We have a dedicated team whose number one priority is reducing harm, officers and staff within the team work closely with other agencies to raise awareness of the steps we can all take, working together to make our community even safer."
