Ashington man jailed for 14 years over death of man in Northumberland
Andrew Peart arrived at Cramlington urgent care centre where he later died
A man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for killing Northumberland man Andrew Peart.
On August 23 last year, police were contacted by medical staff at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington who were caring for an injured man who was described as having catastrophic brain injuries.
The man was identified as 39-year-old Andrew Peart, but despite the best efforts of medical staff, his condition deteriorated, and he sadly died a week later.
An investigation was launched by officers from the Force’s Major Investigation Team, who believed Andrew’s injuries were sustained as a result of an assault.
The subsequent investigation revealed that earlier in the same evening, Andrew had a verbal altercation with the driver of a silver Mitsubishi Shogun on The Square in Guide Post, Northumberland.
The driver of the vehicle – who was later identified as now 29-year-old Jake McIntyre – had been driving on The Square and had to slow down as Andrew crossed the road.
McIntyre drove away after the argument before returning, catching up to Andrew near Guide Post Working Men’s Club where got out the vehicle and struck Andrew with a metal tyre lever he had in his car.
He then punched Andrew leaving him on the floor as he left the scene.
McIntyre was arrested two days later having fled to the Cumbria area.
He was initially charged with assault and later with murder after the discovery of a voice recording he had made on his mobile phone where he admitted his involvement in the incident.
In May, following a two-and a half week trial at Newcastle Crown Court, McIntyre of Stakeford Crescent, Ashington, was found guilty of manslaughter.
And today (Monday), at the same court, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Following McIntyre’s sentencing, Andrew’s family have paid tribute to their ‘loving family man’ who was a devoted father, brother, son, and friend who worked doing a job he loved as a senior design technician.
The Senior Investigating Officer in the case for Northumbria Police, Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, said: “Our thoughts remain with Andrew’s family as they come to terms with the senseless and tragic way in which he lost his life.
“This one incident has left one man’s life tragically cut short and another man jailed for a significant amount of time. This has left the families of both men having to pick up the pieces and for no reason other than this display of unnecessary and avoidable aggression.
“As a Force, we are committed to tackling violent crime in all its forms and we will continue to play our part, alongside our partners, to protect communities and take swift action against those found to be involved.”
Det Ch Insp Barr added: “The sentencing today is a sobering reminder of the consequences of unnecessary violence.
“McIntyre drove away from the scene, and had time to calm down, but made the decision to return – a decision which had life altering consequences for the two men involved.
“His actions have caused so much pain and I hope McIntyre’s sentencing today can help offer some form of closure to the family, and to the wider tight-knit community of Guide Post.”