Man who killed relative by stabbing him in chest then fled to Europe jailed

A man who stabbed a relative to death and then fled to Europe has been jailed for six years and four months.

Dean Ferguson, 30, fatally wounded his childhood friend and second cousin, Billyjoe Bates, 28, during a violent confrontation in Glasgow in November 2018.

Mr Bates sustained a number of injuries and a deadly stab wound to the chest during the altercation and died in hospital four days later.

Ferguson attempted to escape justice by fleeing to Holland, where he remained for more than three years before being extradited back to Scotland in May 2022.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he was linked to the killing after police infiltrated messages on the EncroChat communication network.

Prosecutors said the messages connected Ferguson to the crime and identified him as the assailant.

Ferguson had been due to stand trial for murder, but instead pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide in November last year.

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He returned to the dock for sentencing on Monday.

Judge Lord Clark said Ferguson stabbed Mr Bates twice with a large knife. One of the blows punctured his liver, causing a “deep and fatal wound”.

The judge said: “In essence, you say that Mr Bates had a knife in his hand and was trying to hit you with it.

“You took hold of his arm and forced him to drop the knife. You then picked it up.

“You say that Mr Bates struck you on the head with a Buckfast [tonic wine] bottle, causing you to fall to the ground and Mr Bates then straddled over you with the bottle in his hand. You then swung the knife at him, causing the injuries and his death.

“The medical report states that the wounds you had were what would be expected as a consequence of being struck with a bottle that smashed on impact.

“I am therefore satisfied that there was a degree of provocation.”

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Lord Clark acknowledged that Ferguson had expressed remorse over his friend’s death.

He added: “This was not a premeditated act, but was spontaneous, apparently in reaction to fear of assault.”

A victim impact statement from Mr Bates’ mother was also taken into account.

Lord Clark said: “She explains, in her deeply-moving words, the devastating consequences your conduct has had on the family.

“There is no sentence I can impose which can even begin to relieve their grief.”

The judge told Ferguson without the “degree of provocation” his sentence would have been longer.

Moira Orr, head of homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Dean Ferguson failed in an attempt to evade Scottish justice. He will now pay for his crimes by serving a lengthy period in prison after being convicted of a serious offence.

“This case shows that justice does not stop at the border, and we will robustly use every avenue across multiple jurisdictions to bring criminals to justice in Scotland.

“We regularly collaborate across jurisdictional boundaries as part of our commitment to protect society from harm.”

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