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The father of Dale Martin, also known as DJ, has described the experience of the trial following his son’s fatal attack as nothing short of “hell.” Dale was violently dragged from a car in Derby in June 2025 and suffered multiple stab wounds and slashes. On Friday, one individual was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 27 years for Martin’s murder. Additionally, five other men from Derby were convicted of manslaughter and received prison sentences after a trial that lasted over four months.
In an interview with the BBC after the sentencing, Martin’s father revealed that some of the men responsible had been his son’s schoolmates and even visited their family home for evening meals during childhood. He expressed how deeply painful this was, saying, “That hurts, it hurts a lot.” He recalled that these individuals used to linger in the neighborhood at night, sometimes joining his family for tea in the garden or kitchen, which added an extra layer of heartbreak to the tragedy.
Despite the devastating circumstances, Martin’s father said he felt a sense of relief that the legal proceedings were finally over. “It’s been nearly five months of hell to be fair, something we’ve never gone through and I’d never want to go through it again,” he reflected. Although the family is trying to return to some semblance of normal life, he acknowledged that normality would never truly return, stating, “It’ll never come to normality because DJ’s not there.” He described his son as constantly in their thoughts and hearts, stressing the difficulty of moving on but expressing gratitude that the trial had concluded.
The court heard that the assault was fueled by a long-standing rivalry between two groups, escalating with two previous clashes earlier that same weekend. Dale Martin was attacked near the location of a gender-reveal party he had attended hours before at a local pub. Prosecutor Adrian Langdale KC described how Martin’s car was intentionally blocked by a group using electric bikes, forcing it to swerve and stall. The attackers, equipped with weapons including swords, machetes, and “Rambo knives,” broke a window to pull Martin from the vehicle. A witness described how the group attacked him “like a pack of animals.” Martin initially managed to flee but tripped on debris, leaving him vulnerable to the brutal assault.
Martin’s father condemned the senselessness of the violence, stating, “Nobody deserves to die the way he died over a ‘tit for tat’.” He paid tribute to his son’s character, recalling his “smile” as the most precious memory and describing him as “a proper family lad with a heart of gold” who would do anything for his family. Judge Gregory Dickinson KC sentenced Jayden Mannion-Roberts, 26, of Derby, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years for the murder. Others involved also received lengthy sentences: Ki Grant-Finlayson, 23, was jailed for 18 years with a three-year extended license, while Keenan Hamblett and Shaylon McCalla, both 27, were sentenced to 17.5 and 18 years respectively, with extended licenses. Notably, Grant-Finlayson and Hamblett attempted to flee to Tunisia after the attack but were apprehended at Gatwick airport carrying significant amounts of cash.
Additional participants faced prison terms as well. Kayin Holmes, 25, received 15 years, and Kelci Thompson, 19, was sentenced to 10 years to be served in a young offenders institution. Dale’s younger sister spoke about the closeness they shared, especially towards the end of his life, describing Dale as a “very big part” of her life and recalling how they spent much time together. She expressed the profound difficulty of coping with his absence, saying simply, “it’s just hard not having him here.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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