Craig Preston’s killers jailed for more than 51 years

Leonie Mason (24) attacked her boyfriend of six years Mr Preston (34) alongside her lover, Shiraz Bashir (43), and three teenage boys, two aged 15 and one aged 14, on August 21 last year.

Mason and Bashir, of Holme Park Court, Huddersfield, were found guilty last month after a 12-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court of murdering Mr Preston and today (Friday) the pair were jailed for life with minimum terms of 19 years and 22 years respectively.

The three teenage boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

The 15-year-old boy, who was 14 at the time of offending, was sentenced to four years detention.

A 16 year-old boy was sentenced to three years and four months, while the third, now aged 15, was sentenced to three years.

The gang, who were described as a “curious mix” during the trial, lured an unsuspecting Mr Preston, who was also known as Craig Nelson, to the lay-by on Town Lane, Rockingham, just before midnight.

During the trial prosecutor, Mr Daffyd Enoch QC, said: “All five beat Mr Preston effectively to death.

“He may not have died immediately, but by the time the five had finished with him in that lay-by he was unconscious and had many serious injuries, principally to his head.

“He had been kicked, punched, hit and stamped upon with fists, feet and bits of wood and possibly other implements.”

He added, Mr Preston's body was then put into the boot of a car and dumped down an embankment on the A628 Woodhead Pass by Mason and Bashir.

It was discovered the next day by a dog walker.

A post-mortem concluded he had died as a result of head injuries.