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TWO GUILTY IN SION HARDY KILLING

By James Cree ⋅ May 9, 2008 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Two men were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday of killing 24 year old Liverpool Student Sion Hardy. Simon Taylor and Kevin O’Dea, both 22, were convicted of manslaughter after they attacked him following a night out at the Nation Club in Liverpool last November.

The foreman of the jury broke down in tears as she delivered the guilty verdict and there were shouts of “yes” from the victim’s family.

Mr Hardy was the innocent victim of a group attack that was intended for his friend, Stephen Lunne.

During a two-week trial, Liverpool Crown Court heard that O’Dea, a part-time model and corporate host at Manchester United, was “central” in the proceedings. He had rowed with Mr Lunne and wanted revenge, the prosecution claimed, launching the assault in an underpass along with Taylor, Richard Faustino and Thomas Canning. Despite Faustino and Canning being named in the trial as jointly responsible, they were never charged.

Before sentencing Taylor and O’Dea to seven years in prison, the judge said: “It is a sad fact of society today that the incidence of violence is frequently fuelled by excess alcohol” and added that “it is a worrying feature for all sections of the public and more so for parents of students who go away from home to study.”

Recalling the night of the killing, he said: “Inside the club there was a minor altercation with nothing more serious than bumping and pushing on the dance floor. It exploded outside, he said, and furthermore it was difficult to understand why only O’Dea and Taylor were charged. Sion Hardy was effectively an innocent bystander.”

Outside court, the Hardy family issued a statement saying: “Sion was a special, unique and happy person and we feel honoured to have had him in our lives. He was adored by both his family and friends and his death has had a devastating affect on us all. Society needs to be aware of the detrimental affects our streets can have on innocent victims and their families.”