Police officers’ race against time to trace those responsible for daylight killing and how pair were caught out lying by CCTV

POOLS of blood left on a city street led police to tragic Frankie Cooper’s killer.

The detective who brought his 17-year-old killer to justice has today revealed how police faced a race against time to trace the knifeman after midday violence erupted in Newcastle.

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was cleared of Frankie’s murder but convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of lack of intent by a majority verdict following trial.

Dairan Browne, 19, was cleared of murder and manslaughter. And Detective Inspector Paul Waugh, of Northumbria Police, has told how Frankie’s tragic death was a stark reminder of the dangers of carrying knives in public. He said: “This whole incident brings into focus the dangers of knives and carrying knives around. It’s devastated not only Frankie’s life, but the lives of the offender and their friends and families. If you go out carrying a knife, this is the tragic result it can have,”

Frankie, 22, was knifed through the heart in a lunchtime attack by the teen, who was 16 at the time, in Newcastle’s Princess Square, in February.

Horrified passers-by witnessed the stabbing and dialled 999.

Despite his injuries, which would later prove fatal, Frankie was able to stagger back to his flat, in nearby Bewick Court, before collapsing.

Paramedics were the first emergency service on the scene, and they informed police there had been a stabbing.

“It was the middle of the city centre in the afternoon. There were lots of members of the public walking around in Princess Square in daylight,” Det Insp Waugh explained.

“The ambulance service received a call that he had been stabbed. The police got the call from the ambulance service initially and we went to the scene. When we got there we found Frankie had collapsed in Bewick Court, outside his flat.

“From there really we had to piece together what had happened. Witnesses said there had been a man who got stabbed. And some males who had run off.”

As police examined the scene they found a lot of blood. And after discovering not all of it was Frankie’s they realised the suspects they were looking for were possibly seriously injured.

While being questioned both Browne and (the youth) lied in a bid to cover up what had happened.

“In interview they both told lies at first in an attempt to hide the facts of what they had done. The youth openly blamed the other offender,

saying it was him that had stabbed Frankie,” said Det Insp Waugh.

“And Dairan Browne made up an account it was an unknown person. In court (the youth) admitted that he stabbed him, but he said it was self defence.”

But what the suspects did not know is that other police officers were watching CCTV footage which contradicted their version of events.

“We had to piece together CCTV from the city centre,” said Det Insp Waugh. “One of the officers trawled footage from the whole of Newcastle and managed to find them prior to the incident. “We have got them on CCTV walking together towards Bewick Court and then we traced them all the way to the hospital. Through that work we knew they were lying.”

The investigation revealed there had been an ongoing feud between Frankie and the youth but why it escalated on that day, with such tragic consequences, remains unknown.

Frankie’s parents say the killing has robbed their family of a loving son and brother. Det Insp Waugh added: “Frankie’s parents are devastated.

“Obviously he was known to the police, but when you speak to his mum and dad you get a complete picture of the other side of Frankie. He was a victim. He’s got three sisters who he loved and was an older brother to. He doted on them.

“In a letter written before he died he talked about how he had taken the wrong path and regretted what he had done. He did have two sides to him.”