A man killed a father-of-one just hours after being released early from prison under the government's scheme to reduce overcrowding.
Liam Matthews, 26, was freed from HMP Holme House on the morning of September 18 last year before taking part in a fatal knife attack on Lewis Bell later that same day.
Matthews was part of a gang of three who hunted Bell "like prey" in a drug-related dispute.
The 26-year-old victim was fatally stabbed in the back during the attack in Stockton.
Matthews slashed at Bell with a chisel after spotting two other men fighting with him in the street.
The court heard the feud was connected to a drug den on Norton Road where management suspected Bell of robbing other visitors.
After the attack, the gang fled the scene, discarding their weapons and clothing with the help of a fourth man.
A jury at Teesside Crown Court found Sean McLeod, 23, guilty of murder on Thursday.
Matthews and accomplice Ashton White, 18, were convicted of manslaughter.
All three had denied murder during the trial, blaming each other for Bell's death.
There were cheers from the public gallery as McLeod was convicted.
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A fourth man, Macauley Wright, 26, was convicted of assisting an offender.
The three killers will be sentenced on June 19.
Matthews had previously been jailed for 22 months in June 2023 at the same court for violent disorder.
During that incident, he had kicked and stamped on his victim in a street fight.
He was released early as part of Labour's plan to free up space amid a boom in prison population.
His release came during the first month of the emergency measures aimed at reducing overcrowding in prisons.
Bell's family described him as a "much-loved father, son, brother and uncle".
They said: "Lewis was killed in the most brutal and heartless way. We hold all three males convicted responsible for his murder despite the convictions of two of them for manslaughter."
DCI David Glass added: "Lewis Bell did not deserve to die. This was a pre-planned, sustained attack by a gang who chased him down with weapons in the street."
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We had no choice but to introduce an emergency early release programme.
"We did so with protections in place, including exclusions for those serving for serious violent crimes."
The spokesperson added that the case would be "investigated fully so we can take action where necessary."
Last year, Downing Street said the policy was necessary to avoid "unchecked criminality" where courts couldn't lock people up due to lack of space.
The prison watchdog had previously warned it was "inevitable" that some prisoners would reoffend after early release.
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Liam Matthews, 26, was freed from HMP Holme House on the morning of September 18 last year before taking part in a fatal knife attack on Lewis Bell later that same day.
Matthews was part of a gang of three who hunted Bell "like prey" in a drug-related dispute.
The 26-year-old victim was fatally stabbed in the back during the attack in Stockton.
Matthews slashed at Bell with a chisel after spotting two other men fighting with him in the street.
The court heard the feud was connected to a drug den on Norton Road where management suspected Bell of robbing other visitors.
After the attack, the gang fled the scene, discarding their weapons and clothing with the help of a fourth man.
A jury at Teesside Crown Court found Sean McLeod, 23, guilty of murder on Thursday.
Matthews and accomplice Ashton White, 18, were convicted of manslaughter.
All three had denied murder during the trial, blaming each other for Bell's death.
There were cheers from the public gallery as McLeod was convicted.
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A fourth man, Macauley Wright, 26, was convicted of assisting an offender.
The three killers will be sentenced on June 19.
Matthews had previously been jailed for 22 months in June 2023 at the same court for violent disorder.
During that incident, he had kicked and stamped on his victim in a street fight.
He was released early as part of Labour's plan to free up space amid a boom in prison population.
His release came during the first month of the emergency measures aimed at reducing overcrowding in prisons.
Bell's family described him as a "much-loved father, son, brother and uncle".
They said: "Lewis was killed in the most brutal and heartless way. We hold all three males convicted responsible for his murder despite the convictions of two of them for manslaughter."
DCI David Glass added: "Lewis Bell did not deserve to die. This was a pre-planned, sustained attack by a gang who chased him down with weapons in the street."
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We had no choice but to introduce an emergency early release programme.
"We did so with protections in place, including exclusions for those serving for serious violent crimes."
The spokesperson added that the case would be "investigated fully so we can take action where necessary."
Last year, Downing Street said the policy was necessary to avoid "unchecked criminality" where courts couldn't lock people up due to lack of space.
The prison watchdog had previously warned it was "inevitable" that some prisoners would reoffend after early release.
Find Out More...