'No matter how much I cry it will never wash away the pain'
| Published date | 24 June 2022 |
Bradford Crown Court heard Mr McMinn and his friend were meeting with Bell, who worked for a countylines drug gang based in West Yorkshire, to buy heroin and crack cocaine.
Mr McMinn was angry when he challenged Bell, who had approached a schoolboy to sell him cocaine earlier in the day.
An argument broke out and Bell then used his pocket knife to stab the victim three times, twice in the back and once in the shoulder, John Elvidge QC told the court.
Mr McMinn's mother, who had seen him earlier in the day, told the court she could never forgive Bell who took her "precious" son from her. In a victim statement written in the months following his death, she said: "It's been just over two months since my Simon was cruelly taken away from me. I'll always remember when I was told what happened.
"The thought of him suffering haunts me and I'll never forget it. I thought I was a strong person but I'm not anymore."
She added that "every day is a struggle and I can't escape the nightmare I'm in", saying: "No matter how much I cry it will never wash away the pain. We used to speak three times a week when the phone rings. I hope it is him but it's a false hope."
The court also heard in 2016, when he was 16-years-old, Bell stabbed 54-year-old man in Bournemouth following a minor argument, causing him to suffer a collapsed lung.
Following the attack, which was described as a "deliberate and unlawful" Bell wrote "celebratory" drill song about the crime he had committed.
He said: "I left that crime scene happy. No evidence. So the feds can't catch me." He left the country shortly afterwards but returned to England months later. The court heard that the victim still suffers from anxiety from the attack and lost his confidence. He no longer feels safe out at night.
In a victim impact statement, he added he doesn't walk anywhere in the dark and takes a taxi instead. He also told the court that he still suffers with his lung injuries and he loses breath easily.
The judge described the attack in August 2019 as "an unprovoked, unwarranted and cowardly...
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