Steven Wales, who was jailed this week for concealing the body of Paul Smith in a wheelie bin, has a previous manslaughter conviction linked to the 2009 strangling death of a vulnerable woman during a burglary.
Previous Conviction
Wales was one of two burglars who broke into the Anfield home of Pauline Beattie, 54, who had learning difficulties. His accomplice, Michael McKevitt, fatally choked her during what was described as a shocking and "needless" attack. Reports at the time claimed a jar containing £8 worth of 20p coins had been stolen, and Ms Beattie's pet dog was apparently kicked and injured.
Initially both men were accused of murder, but a trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard they had targeted her house to steal money for drugs. McKevitt, then 37, was convicted of murder and jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years. Wales, then 44, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and received eight years.
Latest Offence
This week the same court heard that Smith had spent the weekend of July 19 and 20 last year at Wales' then home in Everton, where the two men had taken drugs together. Wales, now 61, called 999 on the Tuesday morning and reported a man had died of a drug overdose in his bath two days previously. He told police he had moved Smith's body to a wheelie bin in a nearby garden, where attempts had been made to conceal it beneath litter, green waste and furniture.
Wales was arrested on suspicion of murder but told detectives under interview that he had left Smith at his home and later returned to find him dead in the bath, and "was worried about going back to prison". Smith's cause of death was given as mixed drug toxicity, having died "no later than Sunday night".
Sentencing and Background
Wales admitted one count of preventing a lawful and decent burial and was jailed for 28 months. He has 32 previous convictions for 64 offences, including drug possession with intent to supply, affray, possession of a bladed article, and being in charge of a dangerous dog causing injury. In a previous incident, he brandished a sword during an argument and told a man "Yes, I have done it before" when asked if he was going to kill him.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said Wales' failure to alert emergency services meant Smith lay in the wheelie bin for almost two days while his family were "beside themselves with worry". The judge noted aggravating factors including the concealment prompting a murder investigation and the offence being committed on licence.
