Two men from Cheltenham have been sentenced to a total of 53 years for the of murder of Gloucester dad Keith Soons.
Richard John Smith, 27, and Michael Andrew Sexton, 29, both from Cheltenham, were found guilty of robbery and murder on, Wednesday December 21, 2011, following a three week trial at Bristol Crown Court. Smith was given a 28 year jail sentence for murder and a six year sentence for robbery, to run concurrently.Sexton was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder and four years in prison for robbery, to run concurrently. Keith Soons received fatal head injuries, inflicted by a screwdriver in Wellington Lane, Cheltenham in the early hours of Saturday February 5, 2011. He was found by a member of the public at around 8am that morning and was taken to hospital but sadly died later that day.
Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson has been in charge of the investigation, he said: “This is one of the most harrowing cases I have had to deal with in my 23 years of policing. The cold, callous nature of Smith and Sexton meant a young man in the prime of his life was left to die on a cold back street, all for the sake of a mobile phone. These two men made no attempt to get him the help he so desperately needed.”
36-year-old Keith Soons was living in Gloucester with his partner Sam Ramsey and their baby daughter at the time of his murder. He had lived in Cheltenham before this and grew up and went to school in Cirencester.
He also leaves behind a sister, two brothers and a mum and dad.
“A family have been robbed of a son and brother, a girlfriend has been left without her partner and most tragically a baby girl has been left to grow up never knowing her Dad. Nothing will bring Keith back, there are so many occasions he will be sorely miss, birthdays and especially Christmas. I hope that today’s verdict will give his family and loved ones some comfort that justice has been done,” Detective Superintendent Atkinson commented.
“Cheltenham has always been a very safe place to be. This tragic incident is incredibly rare and has shocked not only the local community but all those who have heard about it. All Keith wanted to do was retrieve his mobile phone, tragically he paid the ultimate price. I want to take this opportunity to praise the courage and conviction of all those who have come forward and particularly given evidence under extremely difficult circumstances. They have helped to make sure these two men are facing the consequences of their actions.”
Tanya Soons, Keith’s sister, read a statement on behalf of the Soons family. LISTEN HERE.
“When Keith passed away, a piece of us all died forever. We still cannot come to terms with his death and why was he taken from us at such a young age with all his life ahead of him. This tragic loss has devastated us all, and still does to this very day. Keith was the joker of the family, he was known for his fantastic sense of humour and wonderful smile. It breaks our hearts to think we will never see that smile again, his little girl, Matilda, will never even remember it. These past few weeks have been incredibly difficult, hearing all the horrendous things my brother went through before he died. This verdict will not bring him back but I hope it means that all of us, my mum, dad, brothers and myself can start to learn to live with what has happened. On behalf of my family I would like to thank all those who have supported us throughout this difficult time. Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson and his team from Gloucestershire police have been a huge help along with the prosecution team and those from the Crown Prosecution Service. I also would like to take this opportunity to personally thank my wonderful husband and boys, I wouldn’t be here without their continuing love and support.
Can I just add that if there is someone that you miss and love so much, tell them. We don’t have the opportunity now and believe me that is what hurts the most."
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