'Brutal' pair jailed for murder of 'missed beyond measure' father

Police were originally called to reports of an altercation in a car park in Drummond Street, in Rotherham on Tuesday, June 18 2024.

Emergency services responded and 38-year-old Lee Peter Davies was found in a critical condition with a stab wound.

He was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead, prompting police to launch a murder investigation, with officers identifying a number of CCTV cameras which covered the car park and surrounding roads.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “During a trawl of the footage, officers identified a group of people who had been with Lee prior to, and during, the altercation which left Lee fatally wounded.

“The footage showed the group being involved in an altercation with Lee before callously walking away through Rotherham - clearly with no regard for the devastating injury Lee has sustained.

“Our Major Crime Unit identified the group through a mix of interviewing a number of witnesses who saw the altercation, further CCTV trawls and the discovery of a discarded piece of clothing which contained receipts in the name of Simon Welsh.

“This diligent and prompt work by the team resulted in Simon Welsh and Jake Shaw being identified as suspects, and then promptly arrested and questioned by officers within hours of the incident being reported.”

Simon Welsh and Jake Shaw were both found guilty of murder following a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court in April 2025.

Welsh was also found guilty of Section 18 wounding relating to an incident from November 2023.

Det Chf Insp Benjamin Wood, the senior investigating officer on the case, said: “This horrendous incident has not only taken Lee's life but also left his two young children without a father.

"Welsh, and Shaw, showed brutality and a lack of remorse, laughing and joking as they made their way away from the scene of this tragic incident.

"Throughout this investigation, we have been committed to securing justice for Lee's family and the quick work of the team, which resulted in the two men being arrested within hours of the incident, hopefully re-affirms this commitment.

"I also want to take this opportunity to recognise the witnesses in this case who provided crucial evidence that has been fundamental in ensuring justice was served.

“Without people coming forward and sharing information with us, and in this case providing this evidence in a courtroom, we would be unable to bring offenders involved in some of our most serious cases to justice."

Following the guilty verdict, Lee's family released the following statement: “Today we feel that justice has been served and we welcome the guilty verdict placed upon the defendants.

“Losing our son Lee Peter Davies has taken an enormous toll on our family.

“He will be missed beyond measure, especially by his two young children who now have to grow up and navigate life without a father.

“We would like to thank the jury, the heroic witnesses who came to court and the investigation team for their time and efforts and a special thanks to the prosecution team, the OIC and SIO and our Family Liaison Officer.

“We now ask that we are afforded the time to grieve for Lee privately.”

Simon Welsh, (37), of Doncaster Road, Rotherham, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years.

He was also sentenced to four years in prison for Section 18 wounding.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Jake Shaw, (26), of Canklow Road, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years.

Both appeared on Friday, June 20 at Sheffield Crown Court for sentencing.

Martin Shaw was previously found not guilty of murder on April 16 following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.