Man jailed for life for murder of Derbyshire grandad

John Williams, 24, of Waterford Drive, Derby was found guilty of Simon Jones’s murder and conspiracy to rob, by a jury at Derby Crown Court yesterday.

Williams was told he will serve a minimum of 25 years.

Mr Jones, from Belper, was found with stab wounds in a car park off Chaddesden Lane on the evening of April 20 2019.

The 57-year-old was taken to hospital but later died of his injuries.

Two other men Kirk Guy, 34, of Haydn Road, Derby and Jacob Ali, 20, of Ashworth Avenue, Derby were also found guilty of Mr Jones’s manslaughter and conspiracy to rob yesterday.

The pair have been jailed for 20 years and eight years respectively.

A further two men were also found guilty of assisting an offender.

Thai Johnson, 20, of Renfrew Street, Derby and Zak Stevens, 27, of Crewton Way, Alvaston have received jail terms of 30 months and 40 months respectively.

The verdicts followed a trial that lasted almost five weeks.

Detective Inspector Chris Marriott said “The investigation team is pleased with the verdicts in this case, which reflect the evidence we had against all the defendants.

“I want to thank Simon’s family for the support they have given to the police and prosecutors throughout this case. They have conducted themselves with great dignity.”