The family of murder victim Bradley Wall has said his killer does not deserve to walk the streets again.
Aiden Ramsdale, 25, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 33 years on Thursday after being found guilty of murder in January. During the trial jurors heard how 24-year-old Mr Wall had met Ramsdale and his co-accused Patrick Mason in the early hours of June 23 last year and had gone with them back to a property in Fairford Avenue.
Leeds Crown Court heard that after around ten minutes at the property, Bradley had either tried to escape or had been thrown from the window before Ramsdale put paving slabs on top of his body, jumped on it and tried to set it alight. It was said he was alive for around 30 minutes after the attack. Following it, his shoes, jacket and bank cards were taken and Ramsdale and Mr Mason - who was found not guilty of murder earlier this year - were arrested later that day.
It was said following his arrest Ramsdale lied and claimed he had seen indecent images of children on Mr Wall's phone. As he sentenced him, his honour Judge Jameson KC said there was not a "shred of evidence" to support that claim. The court heard during prison visits with his father, sick Ramsdale described Bradley's murder as like "an ISIS killing."
During the sentencing hearing, an emotional statement written by Mr Wall's aunt Sharon was read to the court. In the statement, she said she would never forgive or forget Ramsdale for what he had done to her nephew.
She said she goes to sleep of the words of Ramsdale saying "He just wouldn't die" and added: "He [Bradley] was just a young lad who trusted one of the most evil people he could have ever met...He was bright and intelligent and trusting - far too trusting."
The woman said: "You have not shred any remorse for the life you wasted. What was all this for - just so you could get your next fix?"
Sharon said it was a "desperate and pathetic attempt" that Ramsdale branded Mr Wall a paedophile and rapist. She said: "You have taken his life and ruined our lives but his name is the one thing you will not taint or destroy. He had a good heart and moral despite his problems with drugs." She described Bradley's death as "unnecessary, needless, unjust and indefensible."
She added: "I think about what his last thoughts must have been and torture myself wondering if he knew he was about to die in that stairwell all alone."
It was said Bradley meant "everything, the world" to his family. Sharon said: "He had his own demons and battles and so wanted to turn things around.
"He was waiting his first counselling session and was taking the first step to get help with his drug addiction and was so excited to start his holiday rep course at college. His future was stolen from him, and him from us...No one deserves to die the way Bradley did - alone, in fear and in pain and suffering for a long time, knowing no one was coming to help him and he was going to die."
Ending her statement, Bradley's aunt addressed Ramsdale and said: "Aiden Ramsdale I want you to know what you have done to me and Bradley's family...you have given us a lifetime of horrendous suffering. I hope justice prevails and you are handed a very lengthy sentence but it will never come close to the sentence you have given us.
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"Not one of our family believe you have any remorse. We believe you do not care at all that Bradley is dead. You had a choice in the early hours of that fateful day but you gave Bradley no choice.
"You will never be forgiven and by that token, you will never be forgotten. Your treatment of Bradley is beyond barbaric, it was vile, atrocious and inhumane and placed more value on the possessions he had and not on another human being. You do not deserve to walk the streets again and you do not deserve forgiveness."
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