In a case that has sent shudders through the community, gruesome details have emerged from Leeds Crown Court of a calculated and humiliating murder orchestrated by a vengeful killer.
Luke Cannon, 23, has been handed a life sentence with a minimum of 32 years for the execution-style killing of 22-year-old Michael Stubbs. The court heard how Cannon's revenge plot was sparked by a stolen bicycle and a series of perceived personal slights.
A Twisted and Premeditated Act
The prosecution detailed a horrifying sequence of events. Cannon, along with accomplice Demi Gordon, 25, lured Stubbs to a flat in Leeds. What followed was a prolonged and sadistic ordeal where the victim was subjected to unimaginable cruelty.
In a deliberate act of humiliation, Stubbs was forced to strip and wear his own girlfriend's pink dressing gown and leggings. Cannon then filmed his terrified victim, mocking him before the situation escalated into extreme violence.
The Final Moments
The court was told that Cannon, armed with a shotgun, forced Stubbs to kneel on the floor before shooting him in the head at point-blank range. In a callous attempt to cover up the crime, the defendants wrapped the victim's body in bedding and a carpet, dumping it in the backyard of a house in the Hyde Park area of Leeds.
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle of West Yorkshire Police described the murder as "a brutal, planned and calculated execution" of a defenseless man.
Justice Served
Demi Gordon, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentencing brings a close to a deeply disturbing case that highlights the terrifying consequences of unchecked vengeance and violence.
The investigation was a complex one, with piecing together the victim's final movements being key to securing the convictions. The police have welcomed the significant sentences, hoping it brings some measure of solace to Michael Stubbs' grieving family.
