Teenagers arrested at Rhyl hotel found guilty of ‘ferocious’ murder

After a 10-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court, seven teenagers were yesterday (March 21) found guilty of murdering Bailey Atkinson, 20, in Walsall on January 28, 2023.

The boys, all 17, cannot be identified due to their age, but were arrested at Premier Inn, West Parade, Rhyl on the evening of January 31, 2023.

Later that week, they were all charged with murdering him.

All seven will be sentenced in May.

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The other four defendants to have been found guilty of murdering Mr Atkinson were:

• Benjamin Wilkes, 18, of Guild Avenue, Bloxwich.
• Patrick Brookes, 18, of Hunter Crescent, Walsall.
• Sonny Loveridge, 19, of Irvine Road, Bloxwich.
• Ronan McCulloch, 18, of Livingstone Road, Bloxwich.

Clockwise from top left: Wilkes, Brookes, Loverage, and McCulloch (Image: West Midlands Police)

A couple of other defendants also on trial were found not guilty.

The trial heard that Mr Atkinson told a police officer: “I’m going to die - tell my mum I love her,” as he lay in Walsall town centre having attacked with blades and machetes.

In spite of open-heart surgery at the scene, he died from multiple stabs wounds to his back, arms and legs.

Mr Atkinson had moved to Walsall from Coventry two years earlier, and was out with a female friend on the evening of January 27, 2023.

A taxi dropped them in Walsall town centre, and they were walking past the market stalls when a car swerved towards them.

His friend was told by Mr Atkinson to “run” as he also ran along High Street.

There were two cars in convoy; a Toyota Verso and a Seat Leon - both had been stolen in previous days.

The nine occupants of both vehicles had met up on a supermarket car park shortly before they drove into the town centre looking for Mr Atkinson.

It is thought that they sought him in retaliation for an attack on a brother of one of the defendants by Mr Atkinson two months previously.

They cornered Mr Atkinson and drove at him; he managed to escape, but the cars circled and caught up with him further along High Street.

Six of the occupants then got out and attacked him with machetes and zombie knives.

His attackers got back in the cars, leaving him on the floor; one stopped to try to take a photo of Mr Atkinson on his mobile phone as he lay bleeding on the floor.

All occupants of the cars made off to Slater Street in Wolverhampton, where the cars were found burnt out just minutes after the killing.

Detective Inspector Jim Mahon, from West Midlands Police’s homicide unit, said: “Watching footage of a young man dying asking for a message of love to be passed to his mother is something that has haunted my investigation team.

“This attack is one of the most shocking I have seen in my time as a police officer. Bailey was unarmed and on a night out walking through Walsall town centre.

“This was a planned attack; the group had stolen cars and tried to use the vehicles to seriously injure Bailey.

“They then set upon him in one of the most ferocious attacks I have seen. Four weapons were used, which included a ‘rambo’ knife and machetes.

“This investigation was complex and extremely challenging. We made a total of 16 arrests and conducted 12 manhunts which led us all around the country to arrest the suspects.

“I pay respect to Bailey’s mother and family, who have had to endure this trial in the same court room as his killers.

“Again this highlights the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and conflict between groups of young people.

“One young man has lost his life, while others will face a long time detained in custody and live with the guilt of taking Bailey’s life.”