North Tyneside murderer jailed for life
41 year old George Ness fatally attacked John Smyth at a house on Holly Avenue, in Wallsend, last September
A man's been jailed for life - after breaking into a North Tyneside house and murdering a man.
On the morning of September 22, 2024, police received a report of a disturbance at an address on Holly Avenue, in Wallsend.
Emergency services attended and discovered 63-year-old John Smyth with serious injuries consistent with being caused by a brutal assault.
Despite the efforts of police and medics, John, who was born in Glasgow and had recently moved to North Tyneside from Derby, was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.
A major investigation was immediately launched by Northumbria Police and shortly after officers arrested George Ness in connection with John’s death.
Enquiries found that John had been in his next door neighbour’s home in Holly Avenue when Ness arrived to see the occupant of the house.
Ness then became aggressive and tried to get into the property. When John tried to stop Ness, he then attacked John using a large wooden block, leaving him with fatal injuries. CCTV footage then captured Ness leaving the scene. The investigation also found that Ness took John’s phone during the incident.
Ness was arrested later that morning less than a quarter of a mile away on the platform of Wallsend Metro Station after a member of the public phoned 999 after seeing Ness with blood on his legs and clothing.
Ness, 41, of Avon Avenue in North Shields, was subsequently charged with John’s murder and possession of a bladed article. In interview with officers, he claimed he was acting in self-defence when he struck John.
He pleaded not guilty to the offences and went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court, during which he also faced a charge of burglary. Following a nine-day trial, he was found guilty of murder but not guilty of the burglary and possession of a bladed article charges, after which he was remanded in custody.
Ness was back before the same court today (Monday), where he was handed a sentence of life in prison and told he must serve a minimum of 22 years.
Following the sentencing hearing, the Senior Investigating Officer in the case, Detective Inspector Steven Brown, of the Force’s Major Investigation Team (MIT), said: “First and foremost, we would like to pay tribute to John’s family and loved ones for the strength they have shown in the past six months.
“I hope that now his killer has been jailed they can begin to take a degree of closure from the ordeal.
“I would like to commend our first responders and colleagues from the ambulance service and hospital medics for their efforts to save John.
“George Ness’s actions in the early hours of September 22 last year were vicious and deplorable and we are pleased he has now rightly been brought to justice following a thorough investigation.
“On the day of the murder, our officers were able to quickly locate Ness on the platform of a nearby Metro station before getting him arrested and later charged.
“I would also like to thank the jury for seeing through Ness’s lies and his version of events to determine him guilty of John’s murder.
“Ness has shown no accountability whatsoever throughout this whole process and ultimately a dangerous offender is now behind bars for a significant period of time where he can pose no threat to anyone else in our communities.”