A murderer who launched a frenzied knife attack on his victim has been jailed for 27 years.
Harley Robinson murdered Jason Whincup in a brutal stabbing before going on to deny all involvement despite being seen on CCTV.
A jury took just one hour and 26 minutes to convict serial knife-crime offender Robinson – one of the shortest times seen at the court for such a serious case
Sentencing Robinson today, Judge John Thackray KC said: "You thought nothing of the unending pain you would cause to the family and friends of Mr Whincup. This was a murder for gain. Mr Whincup was adored by many and his life was precious and priceless to his family and friends."
Robinson, who was wearing a grey long-sleeved top, stayed totally impassive as he was led out of the secure dock to be taken down to the cells, reports Hull Live.
The 23-year-old had shamelessly pretended that it was not him who was clearly shown in telltale CCTV pictures that provided overwhelming direct evidence against him.
He kept up his cynical pretence throughout his murder trial at Hull Crown Court by nonchalantly and casually dismissing any hint that he might have been the sinister-looking man seen lurking about near the scene of the killing.
His casual and relaxed approach to giving his defence evidence and answering questions under cross-examination by the prosecution did him no good in the end, however, and his callous evasions were rejected by the jury, who quickly convicted him of murder.
Robinson, formerly of Huntingdon Street, Hull, had denied murdering Mr Whincup, who died on September 2 last year, after being stabbed on August 31. However, he was unanimously convicted by a jury on Thursday last week after a nine-day trial. The jury went out to begin its deliberations at 2.26pm and returned to court with its guilty verdict at 3.52pm.
Defence barrister Richard Wright KC said: "I can offer no mitigation about the circumstances of the offence." There were "crude" elements to the murder and the events of the previous two days that were bound to be discovered.
The trial heard that Robinson refused to confess even when he was confronted with damning CCTV pictures that clearly showed him in the area near the home of Mr Whincup. He had instantly dismissed the suggestion that he could do the bereaved family a "small favour" by admitting his guilt "right now".
Robinson had cynically "staked out" the area near the victim's home before casually cycling to Hessle Road for a pre-planned early morning doorstep confrontation.
During the trial, it was suggested by the prosecution that the vicious knife attack might have been motivated by a "beef" that Robinson's father, Andrew "Gus" Pearson, may have had with 47-year-old Mr Whincup. Robinson telephoned his father not long after the stabbing and the prosecution believed that this was to tell him what he had just done.
The prosecution claimed that Mr Whincup was stabbed outside his Hessle Road home in "cold blood" by a hooded man in a tracksuit, identified as Robinson, during an attack that lasted for only a few moments. Mr Whincup was shown on CCTV pictures clutching his side after the stabbing.
During the multiple stabbing of Mr Whincup, the victim suffered a 4cm-deep wound to his liver and a series of other stab injuries of between 8cm and 10cm deep.
Mr Whincup suffered "catastrophic internal bleeding" and needed a "massive transfusion" of blood to try to save him, but his condition deteriorated over a two-day period because his liver was badly damaged. It became clear that he could not be saved. The cause of death was the stab wound to the liver.
Robinson had been riding a bicycle shortly before stabbing Mr Whincup. CCTV footage, showing Robinson, was shown to the jury. He had left an east Hull address at about 6.30am before arriving at Mr Whincup's home. The stabbing happened just after 8.30am.
Robinson claimed that he did not even know the victim and that the first he knew about the death was when he was arrested. He had a history of knife crime but denied having any grudge against Mr Whincup or "staking out" and "checking out" his house in the days before the stabbing in readiness for returning there to carry out the murder.
Robinson had been locked up for four years at Lincoln Crown Court in December 2018 for offences of wounding and supplying crack cocaine. In March this year, at Hull Crown Court, Robinson admitted having a knife during an incident at The Star pub in April last year. He had a black kitchen knife, with a seven-inch blade, in a sheath in his waistband.
He had pleaded guilty before Hull magistrates in April 2018 to having a knife in public, a four-inch hunting knife in a sheath in his waistband. He was part of a group that was approached by the police. They were asked if they had anything on them and Robinson handed over a knife.
