Friend found guilty of Scott Cooke's murder in Shrewsbury
A 25-year-old man was this afternoon found guilty of murder after stabbing a friend five times in the chest during a showdown between rival gangs in Shrewsbury.
Peter Clinton showed no emotion as the foreman of the panel at Birmingham Crown Court returned the 11-1 majority verdict today after nearly 24 hours of deliberations.
Clinton had denied killing Scott Cooke at Monkmoor Recreation Ground on December 27, 2011, claiming he had acted in self-defence.
Damen McDonough, 24, of Darville, Shrewsbury, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter by a unanimous verdict.
Aaron Doran, 25, of Cornmill Square, Shrewsbury, was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter by the jury.
All three men had already been found guilty of aggravated burglary after robbing electrical goods from the home of Mark Williams, a friend of Mr Cooke's, in Abbots Road, Shrewsbury, hours before the showdown.
Doran was sentenced to 12 months in prison by Judge James Burbidge for that offence this afternoon – but will be released immediately as he has already served more than a year in jail on remand.
Clinton, of Caradoc View, Hanwood, near Shrewsbury, and McDonough will be sentenced tomorrow.
