Dean Williams sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 16 years for the murder of Ian Macneil

A man has today been sentenced to life with a minimum of 16 years in prison after being found guilty of the murder of 46-year-old Ian Macneil in November 2021.

Mr Macneil was found collapsed with serious head injuries in the street in Middlesbrough after being fatally assaulted by 50-year-old Dean Williams after a verbal dispute erupted into unprovoked violence by Williams at a property on Southfield Road.

After a trial at Teesside Crown Court, Dean Williams was convicted of murder and his sentence was passed today, Friday 11^th August.

Mr Macneil’s mother, Carole, paid tribute to her son. She said:

“Firstly, I want everyone to know that although Ian had issues with alcohol and drugs this should not define him. He was not a violent man; he was a loving, caring son, brother, and uncle and very much a part of our family. Ian was a lovely kind-hearted man, he was not aggressive, he just wanted to live a quiet life.

“It’s hard for me to put into words the impact that his death has had, it must be bad enough to lose a son by natural causes but to have him taken through violence at the hands of another when there was absolutely no reason for it, I don’t think I will ever come to terms with that.

“We miss Ian every day, he would call in most days to see us so I find myself even now still expecting him to come through the door and then reality hits me that I will never see my son again and it is absolute torture to know that.

“What happened to Ian that night will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Every family event, every special occasion and just every day won’t be the same without him and as a family will have to live with this for the rest of our lives.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Simone Bennett, said: “Ian Macneil was assaulted by Dean Williams so seriously that he died ten days later from his injuries.

“Ian was dearly loved by his family and friends and they will now have to live the rest of their lives without him. I am pleased that Williams has now been convicted and will spend significant time behind bars to pay for what he has done. I hope this will bring some form of comfort to Ian’s family.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved in the court process; the Criminal Prosecution Service and the Judge and jury, the investigation team for their hard work and Ian’s family for their patience and dignity throughout. I’d also like to thank the homeless community who came together to bring their evidence to the court room and help us get the justice that Ian and his family deserves.”