"He was my everything" - Mum of murdered Sheffield man speaks of grief as his killers are jailed for 40 years

‘The day my boy was taken, they may as well have buried me’

Louis James and Dereck Owusu sought to deny responsibility for murdering 26-year-old Reece Radford in a knife attack on Arundel Gate, Sheffield city centre in September 2022, but jurors rejected their account when they found them guilty last month, following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Judge Sarah Wright sent the pair to begin their life sentences in a hearing held at the same court this morning (Thursday, May 4), and fixed 47-year-old James’ minimum term at 25 years, while Owusu, aged 40, was told he must spend at least 15 years behind bars.

In a gut-wrenching statement from Mr Radford’s mother, Laura Radford, which was read to the court by her partner, Mick Houghton, she detailed the devastation caused by his sudden death and the void that has been left in the lives of his family including that of his young daughter who will have to grow up without a father.

His mother, Laura Radford, said: “My heart is broken. Reece was the life and soul of his family…he would light up a room as soon as he came in.”

"He wasn’t just my son, he was my best friend, my soulmate, my everything.”

"His little girl was only seven-months-old when this happened, she will never know him, she will never know what kind of dad he was, and he would have been the best dad.”

"The day my boy was taken, they may as well have buried me.”

Judge Wright said she was ‘satisfied’ James, of Strathmore Grove, Wath-upon-Dearne stabbed Mr Radford in the chest with a knife he brought to the scene, and subsequently disposed of in a nearby drain following the fatal incident, while Owusu, of Manor Lane, Park Hill, Sheffield kicked Mr Radford to the head ‘three or four times’.

Judge Wright told the pair: “You both set about him…he found himself face up on the floor, subjected to serious violence perpetrated by both of you.”

‘Catalyst’ for fatal altercation was Owusu’s attack on girl

Prosecuting barrister, David Tempkin KC, said it was the Crown’s case that the ‘catalyst’ for Mr Radford, who was from the Hillsborough area of the city, becoming involved in an altercation with the two defendants was Owusu’s violence towards a young girl.

"The defendants were angry with Mr Radford for becoming involved, and also because of his earlier remarks suggesting she [the girl punched by Owusu] was 'sh**ing those African b******s,' Mr Temkin told the court.

Mr Temkin said Mr Radford had not given the defendants any reason to believe he was in possession of a weapon, and even if they could claim to have acted in self-defence, 'after a short period of time the defendants actions became unreasonable, out of proportion and therefore unlawful',

Judge Wright said she believed, based on the evidence heard during the course of the trial, that Mr Radford was stabbed as he was lying in the 'centre of the road on Arundel Gate'.

She continued: "During the incident you, Owusu, stole Reece Radford’s wallet from the floor and as Reece Radford lay fatally injured at the side of the road tended to by [someone present] who did her best to help him, you returned to the scene aggressively swinging your belt around towards a number of witnesses including Paul Taylor who was on the phone to the emergency services.

"Thereafter you both left the scene with you James disposing of the knife down a drain in a secluded location and then denied that you had ever been in possession of a knife."

“Thanks to the very diligent investigation that took place thereafter the police were able to recover that weapon and demonstrate your actions in disposing of it by a careful analysis of CCTV.”

‘He will carry the burden of Mr Radford’s death for the rest of his life’

The sentencing hearing was initially delayed due to another defendant with the surname 'James' being brought to Sheffield Crown Court, instead of Louis James. Judge Wright said she was 'astonished' by the error.

James' barrister, Stephen Wood KC, was keen to stress that his client was keen to appear in person, especially following a number of recent cases - including that of Sheffield killer Jermaine Richards - where defendants convicted of murder have refused to leave their prison cell to be brought to court for sentence.

A video link to the prison where James is detained was made available, and he attended via video-link instead, and Judge Wright noted he appeared 'very keen' to attend in person, along with his co-accused Owusu, who was present in court.

In mitigation, Mr Wood told Judge Wright: "Your Honour knows about the background to his [James] possession of a weapon. He has previously been a victim of a stabbing himself."

He continued: "Your Honour could not conclude with certainty that the defendant intended to kill Reece Radford."

Referring to James' evidence in the trial, Mr Wood said: "He did express remorse, he did not want Reece Radford to die, and is sorry for that, and will carry the burden for that for the rest of his life.

Defending Owusu, Katherine Lumsdon KC, said there was 'no evidence' that her client had any 'knowledge' of the knife James armed himself with, however this was rejected by Judge Wright who said that even if Owusu was not aware of the weapon prior to the altercation taking place, he still would have seen it prior to the stabbing being carried out when it was produced by James.

Ms Lumsdon added: "This was, on any view, a spontaneous incident...He regrets enormously getting involved in this incident. He never expected or anticipated that Mr Radford would die."

Prior to the hearing getting underway, Ms Lumsdon asked whether it could be adjourned in Owusu's case in order to allow for an assessment to be carried out to determine whether he is on the autism spectrum. She stated that autism is a condition which is legally recognised as a 'mental disorder' that judges are required to consider as a possible mitigating factor.

This request was rejected by Judge Wright on the grounds that Owusu's legal counsel had 'ample opportunity' during the course of the trial to raise the possibility of Owusu having autism as a concern, and said no such concerns ‘have been previously raised’. Judge Wright added that it was unlikely that an autism diagnosis would have affected the sentence passed, in any event.

Prior to sentencing James and Owusu to life imprisonment, Judge Wright summarised the impact their fatal ‘joint attack’ on Mr Radford continues to have on his loved ones.

She said: "Reece Radford was a much loved son, step-son, brother and grandson. His daughter was just 7 months old when you murdered him and she will grow up not knowing her father. His mother describes him as her everything. His family are devastated and shattered by his loss and their lives will never be the same again.”