Nicholas Ward jailed after stabbing dad-of-six Tony McDermott 51 times in computer row

A man who "tortured" his friend after falsely accusing him of stealing his computer has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.

Father-of-six Tony McDermott, 38, was stabbed 51 times by Nicholas Ward at their Grantham home in October 2023.

Ward, who had been friends with Mr McDermott for 24 years, denied murder but was convicted by a jury last week.

At Lincoln Crown Court, Mr McDermott's mother told Ward: "You tortured him and left him on the floor like a dog."

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst told Ward, 38, his actions had "caused profound pain and significant changes" in Mr McDermott's six children.

Judge Hirst said: "The impact has been all the greater because you were someone who was trusted by all the family, because you were Mr McDermott's good friend."

Mr McDermott died from heavy blood loss after one of the stab wounds went all the way through his left leg, the court heard.

"You effectively tortured your friend for a period of two hours or so inflicting 51 separate incised wounds upon him," judge Hirst told Ward.

"The pain you inflicted upon him was excruciating before you finally killed him."

He said the father-of-six tried to escape from both the front and back door of Ward's home in Eton Street, but on each occasion "you dragged him back into the living room and continued your attack".

The court heard the pair were in good spirits and had been drinking and taking drugs on the evening of 13 October but in the early hours of the next morning, Ward believed his long-term friend had stolen his work iPad.

Judge Hirst described the violence, which included "chop wounds" to Mr McDermott's shin bone, as "significant torment" with Ward threatening to cut off his friend's ears and fingers.

In her victim impact statement read out in court, Mr McDermott's mother, Marie Arbuckle, told Ward: "My son was always there for you, helping you when you were bullied."

Mr McDermott's eldest daughter, Shaila Bignell, told Ward the "grief was overwhelming".

"Losing my dad felt like losing a part of myself," she said.

"The wounds you inflicted upon him will forever replay in my head."

Charlie Ellis, the mother of Mr McDermott's two youngest children, told Ward: "You are a monster and I pray one day you feel this pain."

Mr McDermott repeatedly denied taking Ward's gadgets but his friend did not believe him.

They were later recovered by police in a bag belonging to Ward, the court heard.

Following the attack, Ward fled the property without calling 999 and told three other people what had happened, the judge was told.

However, Prosecutor Simon Ash KC said Ward "lied and lied again" to cover up his repeated attacks.

Judge Hirst initially sentenced Ward to 21 years but because he had already spent 198 days on remand the minimum term he will serve is 20 years and 167 days.

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