Sean Stark killer will serve seventeen years

Published 23 Nov 2009 16:09 4 Comments

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A devastated mum told the violent thug who stabbed her partner to death to "rot in hell" after he was convicted of his murder on Thursday, 19th November.

Melanie Stewart blasted John Blake as he started a life sentence for murdering her childhood sweetheart, Sean Stark.

At the High Court in Aberdeen it emerged that Blake (22) had been out of jail for just six weeks when he killed the devoted family man.

Melanie (23) told how Sean, who had two young daughters, had stumbled into the path of a fight that had nothing to do with him and was in the "wrong place at the wrong time".

Melanie, from Lochgelly, said, "It's really tragic because Sean was only going out for a drink. He didn't even know John Blake.

"But now he's taken away my Sean. We'll never get married and we'll never have the little boy we had always dreamed of.

"It is a completely senseless tragedy. I hope he rots in hell for what he's done."

Sean was murdered on 31st May this year on Main Street in Lochgelly. During his trial at the High Court in Aberdeen the jury was told how unemployed Blake had been out drinking with friends.

The court was told he had only just been released from prison after serving a 24 month sentence for assault to injury.

The dad-of-one has a string of other previous convictions for assault, and possessing a knife. And as well as his jail sentence has spent time in young offender's institutions.

On the night Sean (25) died the court was told Blake was out for revenge on a friend who was accused of threatening one of the group's girlfriends.

A fight broke out between two of Blake's friends. Seconds later Sean walked past and was stabbed by Blake for no reason.

Lord Bonomy told the court that Stark had inflicted six stab wounds. One penetrated the victim's lung, another two punctured the heart and his aeorta was severed.

Blake was accused of murdering Sean and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the weapon and clothes he'd worn during the attack.

He denied the charges. But after a five day trial at the High Court in Aberdeen he was found guilty of both by a majority verdict.

The 20-strong group of Sean's closest friends and family members, who made the trek from Fife for the trial, clapped and cheered the verdict.

When sentencing him Lord Bonomy told Blake, "The verdict of the jury must have come as no surprise to you.

"You armed yourself with a knife. You attacked a person who posed no serious threat to you and who had no involvement in the earlier conflict."

He added, "These events are a graphic illustration of the dangerous state of Scotland's streets at night when young men fuelled by alcohol go out armed and seeking conflict.

"That conduct ended in the pointless destruction of an adult life and left a gaping hole in the life of Sean Stark's family and others whose lives he touched."

Melanie first met fruit and veg merchant Sean when she was at school and started going out with him when she was 16 and he was 18.

They had two children, Sophie (1) and Sarah-Marie (3) and wanted to get married but kept putting off wedding plans because they never had any money.

In the weeks before his death they had begun trying for a third child, because they were desperate to have a boy.

On the night he died he had just left their flat to go and see a friend then head to the pub.

When Melanie heard a disturbance on the street she ran to the pal's flat to warn Sean to stay inside, and had no idea that he was lying dying outside.

Melanie said, "That's the hardest thing to deal with.

"I missed him by seconds. Maybe if I had been a bit quicker I might have saved his life. He might still be here today."

Blake was sentenced to life imprisonment, dating back to June when he was first taken into custody. He won't be eligible for parole for 17 years.

But Melanie told how it's not the end of her heartbreak. She said: "Last weekend the girls said they wanted to know the truth about what had happened to their dad.

"I had to tell them. I couldn't lie. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life.

"This brings some closure, but it doesn't bring Sean back. I think about him every day, and the girls ask about him every day. It doesn't get any easier."

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CLAIRE MACKIE
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Nov 23, 23:29
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love ya mel xx you can get through this honey, for the girls, for sean xxxx

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christain
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Feb 5, 14:57
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What a terrible story, it just shows the state of Britain..hope the scumbag gets what he deserves when hes in prison.

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russell
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Feb 9, 09:08
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];];Lord Bonomy told the court that Stark had inflicted six stab wounds. One penetrated the victim's lung, another two punctured the heart and his aeorta was severed.[[

Surely this should read "Blake had inflicted" or "Stark had suffered..."

Poor editing.

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Candice Bonar
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Dec 9, 05:50
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In our thoughts Sean.

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******
Oct 7, 12:15
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