Leicestershire man guilty of murdering his brother-in-law

A Syston man who killed his brother-in-law after a night of drinking and drug-taking has been found guilty of murder.

Shortly after midday on Thursday 15th June 2023, police were called to a report that a man – 47-year-old Liam Waldron – was lying injured in Gipsy Road, off Melton Road. When emergency services arrived, it was found he had been stabbed. Despite their best attempts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A murder investigation, led by detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit’s (EMSOU) major crime team, was launched to identify the person responsible. A number of people were spoken to and it was established Mr Waldron had been with another man in the lead up to the incident – named as 43-year-old Leighton Reid.

Enquiries to piece together the pair’s movements before Mr Waldron’s death established that they had been drinking together in Melton Road the night before and were together on the morning of the incident.

At 12.03pm – three minutes before a call was made to 999 – Reid was seen walking along Gipsy Road and into Harrison Road. He then carried on along Magnus Road and to Shanti Margh, where he got into a car and was driven off towards Syston.

That same evening, Reid handed himself in at Euston Street police station and was subsequently arrested. In interview, he stated he could not recall the incident – or much of the time he and Liam had spent together the previous evening – as he had been under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. He told detectives the only explanation he could offer was that Mr Waldron must have attacked him and he acted in self-defence.

Reid, of Oxford Street, Syston, was found guilty of murder on Wednesday 31st January 2024.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, the senior investigating officer, said: “First and foremost, my condolences go out to Liam’s family and loved ones.

“Reid claimed he had no recollection of events due to his consumption of drink and drugs, stating he believed Liam had attacked him and he had acted in self-defence. Yet his calculated actions suggest otherwise – disposing of key evidence, including his blood-soaked training shoes.

“Only he knows why he chose to attack a previously close friend with a knife inflicting multiple, ultimately fatal injuries.

“I hope today’s outcome will allow Liam’s family to feel that justice has been done. I know no sentence will bring him back, but I hope it allows them to move on with their lives as best they can.”