Sheffield man convicted of "ferocious" and "brutal" murder

A 24-year-old man from Sheffield has been found guilty of the "brutal murder" of another man in the city despite setting a house on fire to try and cover his tracks.

Paul Cain, of no fixed address in Sheffield, has been on trial at Sheffield Crown Court for three-weeks, charged with the murder of 44-year-old Cy Cooper (pictured below) in July 2015 in Wincobank, Sheffield.

Detectives investigating the murder have described the incident as "a vicious, sustained and ferocious attack on an innocent and defenceless man." A post-mortem examination found Cy had over 80 injuries to his body, with the pattern of the injuries suggesting there was one or more, sustained and very forceful assaults including repeated kicks, stamps and possibly punches, as well as being attacked with a sharp instrument.

In a statement from Mr Cooper's sister, on behalf of the family, she said: "As we have approached the start of trial to determine who was responsible for my brother's death, it has been with a mixture of anticipation and dread. "Whilst we have wished for the day to come so we can try to find answers to our many questions, we also understood that the truth would be painful and difficult to hear. "It has been nearly impossible to concentrate on anything for any length of time and I find that Cy comes into my thoughts, morning, noon and night. "It is so cruel that even after such a tragic life, in which Cy never got over the loss of his beloved son Ryan, that Cy was not able to find happiness and his life was cut so short. "He will always be missed by his remaining family and friends and I hope above all that Cy will rest in peace, surrounded by our loved ones and that justice for his death has been granted."

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 29 July 2015, a call was made to emergency services that smoke was billowing from a property on Bluebell Close in the Wincobank area of Sheffield. When officers arrived, Mr Cooper's body was already laid outside the property, with Cain in the midst of the chaotic scene, as Detective Chief Inspector Dave Stopford, the Senior Investigating Officer who led the murder investigation, explains:

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"Earlier that evening, Cain went round to Mr Cooper's property. "There was a minor disagreement regarding relatives and living arrangements, however this appears to have been the motive for the murder as Cain violently attacked Mr Cooper, leaving him for dead, and then attempted to cover his tracks by setting the property on fire. "He later claimed that he had rushed into the burning building to pull Mr Cooper out, however this account was refuted by another witness who actually pulled Mr Cooper from the property, and this was merely an attempt by Cain to try and explain why forensic evidence was found on his clothing." DCI Stopford added:

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"Mr Cooper was a kind-hearted man who was well liked and respectable. He was quiet and gentle and did not like to argue or have confrontations, he kept himself to himself, and Cain took advantage of his mild-mannered nature. "There was no natural disease which could have caused or contributed to Mr Cooper's death, he died because of the injuries inflicted by Cain, who then believed he could outwit the authorities and get away with murder. "Cain is a dangerous man and deserves to be behind bars for a very long time. His actions that night were utterly deplorable and he has caused needless pain and heartache for those close to Mr Cooper. "This a truly devastating case and my thoughts go out to Mr Cooper's family and friends, and I hope the result today offers them some comfort that justice has been served. "I would also like to thank the witnesses who have shown true courage and bravery throughout the case and indeed, in providing evidence at the trial." Cain will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday 9th Feb.

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