EFFORTS to dispose of potentially incriminating evidence against a young killer today (Monday, July 13) landed two more members of his wider family behind bars.

Luke Garner and friend George Keane were given indefinite life sentences at Newcastle Crown Court, in September 2013, following their convictions for the murder of David Scott.

The pair, both aged 16, were involved in the attack on the father-of-two in an alleyway behind Rose Avenue, South Moor, Stanley, early on December 23, 2012.

Mr Scott, 33, of South Stanley, died from knife wounds to his back and abdomen.

Durham Crown Court was today (Monday July 13) told police inquiries were initially hindered by a lack of evidence linking the defendants to the scene at the time of the attack and by the failure to locate the murder weapon, which has still not been found.

The court heard that a knife sharpening steel was recovered from the crime scene and Garner conspired with members of his family to dispose of the set of chef’s knives from which it came.

Police were to discover that the set originally belonged to a trainee chef who was a friend of Garner and left the knives at his home, where he often stayed.

John Wright, who was the partner of Garner’s mother, Claire McQueen, at the time, admitted moving the set of knives, none of which was the murder weapon.

They were later recovered from his house, while Garner’s grandfather, Gordon McQueen, admitted having disposed of the cloth bag which previously contained the knives.

Garner, who becomes 19 on Thursday (July 16), of Acton Dene, 57-year-old Wright, of Hillside Gardens, and Gordon McQueen, 56, of Heather Way, all Stanley, each admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

Jane Waugh, for Garner, said he has been told his earliest release date is in January 2027, and asked that any sentence for the conspiracy should run alongside his existing term in custody.

Rachel Hedworth, for Gordon McQueen, said he, “utterly regrets his actions, which were born out of a misguided sense of loyalty.”

Andrew Rutter, for Wright, said he was not asked to dispose of a murder weapon, as the knives were returned to him, having been ruled out by police as having been used in the crime.

Judge Simon Hickey jailed Wright for 27 months, McQueen for two years and added 14 months to Garner’s sentence, to run concurrently.

He said their actions delayed police being able to link Garner to the crime scene in the initial investigation.

A formal ‘not guilty’ verdict was recorded against Garner’s mother, 37-year-old Claire McQueen, also of Hillside Gardens, after the prosecution offered ‘no evidence’ in her case.

Judge Hickey also commended Detective Constable Steve Hedley and Detective Sergeant Andrew Smith for their “painstaking inquiries” in the case.