Treeton man among three found guilty after Sheffield murder

Caine Gray (27), of Treetown Crescent in Treeton, was convicted of the murder of Jarvin Blake (below) after a four-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

The jury also convicted Josiah Foster (26), of Wordsworth Crescent in Sheffield, of manslaughter, and Devon Walker (25), of Ellesmere Road North in Sheffield, of manslaughter and assault. 

A fourth man, 27-year-old Lewis Barker, of North Hill Road in Sheffield, entered a guilty plea to murder at the start of the trial.

Det Chief Insp Steve Handley said: “The four of them had a plan and worked together to orchestrate Mr Blake’s death. 

“While none of the defendants have ever given a clear indication of who was responsible for delivering the fatal blow to Mr Blake, the likelihood is that the incident was as a result of a build-up of violence among the circles they associated with and the dealing of drugs.

“Ultimately though, all four men have played a part in robbing three young children of a life with their father.”

South Yorkshire Police put a team of detectives on the case after Mr Blake (22) was fatally stabbed to the chest in Burngreave in March 2018.

A friend who was hit over the head with a concrete paving slab during the same street brawl has made a full recovery.

The killers tried to cover their movements afterwards by using multiple phones and swapping SIM cards.

Det Chief Insp Handley said: “Through extensive and exhaustive telecoms, CCTV and analytical work, we were able to piece together a timeline of their movements, who they were speaking to and where they had travelled to that day.

“This enabled us to determine that Walker had been with the victim just prior to the attack, while Foster, Gray and Barker travelled in Foster’s car to Brackley Street.”

All four men — remanded in custody since being charged in August last year — will be sentenced at a later date.