Three men who filmed stabbing of man in Hardwick found guilty of murder

Layton Lightfoot, Jesse Reaney and Charlie Wilcock violently attacked David Cuthbert after forcing their way into his home.

The trio entered the property on Egglescliffe Close on Friday 10 January 2025. A knife was delivered with such force that it penetrated David’s heart and lung.

On Wednesday 12 August a jury found all three men guilty of murder and robbery following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

• Lightfoot, of Stockwith Close in Middlesbrough, was found guilty of murder and robbery
• Reaney, of Lowthian Road in Hartlepool, was found guilty of murder and robbery
• Wilcock, of no fixed address, was found guilty of murder and robbery

They will return to Teesside Crown Court on Friday 27 November to be sentenced.

During the trial, the court heard how Lightfoot, 18, Reaney, 18, and Wilcock, 19, spent a day that was based on escalating violence.

It began with the trio badly beating and robbing a woman after trying to attack a property by kicking at a door to gain entry.

Just minutes before the murder, they stole the woman’s money by punching and kicking her on the floor before they made their way to David’s home.

Lightfoot, Reaney and Wilcock were then captured on CCTV walking onto Egglescliffe Close at around 4.30pm.

As they entered David’s home, Wilcock, armed with a knife, filmed David cowering on an armchair in the bedroom as he was inflicted with numerous injuries including the left side of his body.

As the trio fled, David managed to crawl to the hallway. He was found by the front door a few hours later after a relative had become aware of footage of part of David’s attack filmed by Wilcock on Snapchat.

After climbing through a window to get to David and making attempts to save his life, he sadly died inside the home.

Detectives were able to swiftly identify Reaney and Wilcock from the footage that had been shared online. It showed them entering David’s home while armed with a knife.

Their evidence grew stronger from further data on the men’s phones and Lightfoot’s electronic tag to outline all their movements after the murder had taken place.

It included reports of the men being at a petrol station. After being picked up by a taxi they set off only to ask the driver to travel back to the same petrol station where police later recovered a hood with a knife concealed inside and a matching jacket with Reaney’s bank card inside.

While giving evidence, all three told the jury that they profit from dealing crack cocaine.

Wilcock admitted to carrying a weapon to deal drugs most days, the court heard.

Following the verdict, David’s family said: “Our minds are scarred with the cruelty and brutal act that these three men carried out on David.

“Losing David has left us absolutely heartbroken. There are no words to describe the pain we feel.

“We are forever changed.”

T/Detective Superintendent and Senior Investigating Officer Daryll Tomlinson said: “I am pleased the jury has found Lightfoot, Reaney and Wilcock guilty of murder and given David’s family the justice that they deserve.

“These three men, who were heavily involved in criminality and instilling fear, were on a mission that day to use violence through the use of weapons to obtain money or drugs from those living within the community.

“They wanted to assert their authority, brazenly brag about their violence to those online and then when reality set in try to conceal their involvement and continue to lie. All without any thought for the pain and harm they caused to David and his family and friends.”