Shrewsbury mother jailed for two years over attempt to cover up son's crime

Janet Davies helped her 18-year-old son Bradley try to hide his involvement in the killing of Ben Bebbington by buying him a new pair of trainers to replace the shoes that had been used in the attack and subsequently burnt.

The trainers, bought on the day Mr Bebbington died in hospital, were an exact replica of the Nike shoes her son had worn while stamping on the head of the busker the night before.

She also drove her son from Shrewsbury to Lyth Hill where he hid the burnt trainers in a hedgerow.

James Bagby, representing Mrs Davies, 47, of Westering, Shrewsbury, said she had acted "without thinking and with misguided loyalty" towards her son.

But Judge William Davis QC said at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday: "I'm prepared to accept you didn't think very sensibly, but think you did.

"You went home, found out what happened and having found out, bought your son a new pair of trainers and then driving him so he could dump the shoes that had been burnt.

"You told lies to the police and then never admitted what you had done until you came to this court."

Bradley Davies's half-brother Luke Stevens, 27, of Callow Crescent, Minsterley, was given eight months in jail for perverting the course after lying by stating that the clothes worn by Davies and then washed at the family home in Shrewsbury were his.

Davies's cousin, Kayleigh Davies, 25, from Lowfield in Shrewsbury, received an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work. She made an initial witness statement to police, concealing her knowledge about the disposal of the burnt trainers.

But she later admitted the truth and told the police where they could find the discarded shoes.

A teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also sentenced for perverting the course of justice during interviews with the police.

The teenager was given a two-year youth rehabilitation order with supervision.

All four of the defendants had pleaded guilty prior to yesterday's sentencing.

• See also - Young killers of Shrewsbury busker Ben Bebbington face up to life behind bars