Life sentence for murdering rival
years behind bars before he can apply for parole.
M c G e e, 3 0, o f M e l v i l l e Stre et , C h e s te r - l e - Stre et , who admitted conspiracy to A killer who murdered a ripervert the course of justice, val during a knife-fight in the has been jailed for six months. street has been jailed for life. Mr Justice Goss said the
A knifeman who murdered precise "catalyst" for the exa love rival during a "volunplosion of violence that night ta r y, v ic i ou s a n d mutu a l "is known only to the two men armed fight in the street has involved. been jailed for life. But the judge added: "How
Mohammed Rahman, 44, ever, I have no doubt that its and Alan Stokoe, 26, who had origins lie in the fact you Moboth had relationships Laura hammed Rahman had been McGee, clashed outside her with a relationship with Laura home in the early hours of July McGee, you had a child togeth21 last year. er, you were wanting to main
Newcastle Crown Court tain some form of relationship heard during the violence with each other.
Rahman murdered Mr Stokoe "You Laura McGee had, with a knife blow to the neck more recently, been in a temwhich severed vital veins and pestuous relationship with arteries. Alan Stokoe."
The court heard in the nine The judge told Rahman, minutes it took for emergency wh o has prev ious convicservices to arrive at the scene, tions for violence and sexual Rahman and McGee came up assault: "Had the offence not with a "pack of lies" about Mr been captured on CCTV you Stokoe going into her house may well have got away with with two knives and having to your crime." be disarmed. T h e j ud ge to l d M c G e e:
Rahman, of Eamont Gar"You chose to lie to the police." dens, Hartlepool, denied murIn a heartbreaking stateder and conspiracy to pervert ment, which she read from the course of justice, but was the witness box, Mr Stokoe's found guilty by a jury of both mum Joanne Stokoe said: charges after a trial and has "This has left a huge hole in now been jailed for life. my heart, left me with emp
He must serve at least 19 tiness and darkness I cannot seem to overcome.
"I feel I cannot live without him.
"I physically ache because I cannot see him again. The pain can be overbearing."
Fighting back tears, she added: "Most days I just want to hide away.
"I wish just to be able to see him and hear his voice one more time.
"There will be no more moments, no more hugs or dances or conversations, no more laughs and tears."
Prosecutor Jamie Hill QC told the court during the trial Rahman was in an "on-off" relationship with McGee and Mr Stokoe was her recent ex.
Mr Hill said the clash was a "voluntary, vicious and mutual knife fight with consequences that, with the benefit of retrospect, were almost inevitable. They both wanted to fight with knives."
Kirsty Brimelow QC, defending Rahman, said the killer had taken the knife into the street to frighten Mr Stokoe, not to murder him, but he faced significant provocation and is sorry.
Daniel Cordey, defending McGee, said: "Once she had told the lie it was hard, given her frame of mind at the time for her to go back on the initial lies she had told.