crime-againGranddad murdered

A win at horseracing led to a savage murder in Newcastle, when heavy drinking celebrations caused a row.

A granddad in Newcastle bet a couple of pounds on his favorite horses at one of many William Hill betting shops in the city. Little did he know that he will be later viciously murdered by a pair of drunkards looking to collect his small winnings.

Steven Youll was savagely beaten to death by Michael Wait and his accomplice David Smith. The pair then went through the granddad’s pockets to collect the uncashed betting slips. They wasted no time in cashing GBP 178, GBP 72, and GBP 4 horserace betting slips. Apparently, the money was spent on booze shortly after.

After a thorough investigation and swift action by the police, the pair was apprehended and later jailed for life. Jurors in the trial couldn’t been told how Wait stole the betting slips from Youll, as the judge ruled this evidence could prejudice the case. However, the murderers were convicted anyway.

Could the murder have been avoided?

Prosecutor, Neil Davey QC, referred to Michael Wait’s actions when he told reporters: “In order to do that he must have known what he was looking for.” If only Steven Youll had used mobile sports betting tools to wager on horses. He wouldn’t have to leave his house even, not to mention being beaten to death for the betting slips.

Wait didn’t cash the slip at William Hill’s branch in Westgage Hill where the bet was actually placed. He knew the staff there were familiar with Steven Youll. Instead he went to a different branch and cashed the GBP 72 slip right away. But he couldn’t do so with the GBP 178 slip, and was told to go to the branch that accepted the wager.

What makes things even worse, Youll and Wait were pals. They were celebrating Youll’s win at Wait’s home, and after a night of drinking a heavy row broke out between them. The pair went outside to settle the differences and later joined by Smith. Together, Wait and Smith left Youll with 71 injuries leading to his death.

Responsible drinking and responsible gambling are ultimate advices for any gamer. And it doesn’t hurt to use the latest technological advances to avoid these kinds of situations either.