Four men have been found guilty of the murder of a 22-year-old man in Ilkeston in 2021.
The incident began when Byron Griffin, along with four friends, drove to Great Northern Close, Ilkeston, in a blue Ford Focus in the early afternoon on Sunday, July 4, 2021.
As Mr Griffin left the car Grant Masterson produced a baseball bat and the pair began fighting – before the three other men joined in to aid Masterson.
Masterson was armed with a baseball bat – while Dylan Geary armed with a machete slashed at the 22-year-old from East Leake.
Witnesses then saw Jordan Fairbrother stab Mr Griffin in the chest with a knife, which, when found by officers hidden in a bag of dog food, was found to have both Jordan Fairbrother’s, and Daniel Lewsley’s, DNA on it.
All I can remember when I took the bat was seeing Byron curled up on the floor looking like he wanted to defend himself and someone then forcefully hit him with a machete.”
Mr Davies said he and the others then fled the scene but minutes later saw an ambulance go past them and so followed it to nearby Eyre’s Gardens.
He said: “I saw Byron lying on the floor, he was lying in a pool of blood, I left and went to a McDonald’s, I was just sat there really shaking, I had no idea what to do at all.”
Mr Griffin managed to flee the scene but collapsed in Eyre’s Garden, a short distance from where the fight took place.
A single stab wound had pierced his lung and heart and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.
Dylan Geary, 22, Daniel Lewsley, 32, Grant James Masterson, 29, all of Great Northern Close, Ilkeston, and 26-year-old Jordan Fairbrother, of Nelson Street, Swadlincote, were all charged with murder in relation to the death of Mr Griffin.
Today at Derby Crown Court the four, who had all denied the charge, were found guilty of murder.
The quartet will be sentenced at Derby Crown Court on 28 February.
Following the verdict being delivered Zoe Cooke, Mr Griffin’s mother, said: “I cannot express my words in relation to today’s guilty verdicts. It is bittersweet. Nothing will ever be enough justice for losing my beautiful boy Byron.
“He was my best friend, and I worshiped the ground he walked on.
“My family and I are broken. I know that one day these men will walk free and live their lives and we will live with the fact that Byron is gone forever.
“Our family has been destroyed beyond belief. Byron had so much to live for and was genuinely loved by so many.
“We will miss him forever but can say that justice has been done. I’d like to thank all those involved with this investigation from Derbyshire Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution team. I couldn’t fault them in anyway and am genuinely thankful to them.”
