Three men jailed over violent killing of dog walker in Great Baddow
30 year-old Kieran Shepherd was chased and fatally stabbed last October.
Last updated 23rd Oct 2025
Three men have been jailed over the violent killing of a dog walker in Great Baddow.
30 year-old Kieran Shepherd was chased and fatally stabbed last October.
20 year-old Zack O’Keefe has received a life sentence with a minumum term of 23 years for Kieran's murder. His co-defendants, Harrison Carpenter and Joseph Dawe, have been given 11 years and 10 years 6 months respectively for manslaughter
The three tried to burn their clothing and hide at a holiday park after the attack, but were tracked down and arrested days later.
Kieran’s family say his loss has left them with "heartbreak that no words can describe".
Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Lydia George, said: "Kieran’s family have conducted themselves with the upmost dignity for the last 12 months while they wait to see justice done in his case.
"I’d like to thank them for their support with our investigation, and while nothing will ever repair the harm done by these three men, I hope today’s sentence can help them continue to come to terms with their loss.
"We have worked in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service to prove they were the only ones that could have attacked Kieran, and that none of them tried to stop the attack and that they left him to die.
"With our case, prosecutors showed they were all involved and further showed the lengths they went to in trying to avoid justice."