Former Yorkshire man jailed for life for murder - six years after threatening to stab boys in street robbery

Martin Eastwood, aged 22, has been ordered to spend a minimum of 30 years behind bars following a trial at the Old Bailey in London.Eastwood, formerly of Smelter Wood Rise, Stradbroke, has served time behind bars before. When he was 16 years old he forced two other teenagers to kneel on the ground and threatened to stab them unless they handed over their mobile phones.

He was sentenced to two years and eight months in a young offenders institution over that incident, which took place in Richmond Park, Richmond.

He stole two iPhones from the boys and was arrested by officers within 24 hours after he tried to sell one of the phones via Facebook.

The murder he has been convicted of involved the death of Liam Dent, who was intentionally struck by a stolen car in Chessington, Kingston, London.

Eastwood, now of Conifer Park, Kiln Lane, Epsom, was described as “a dangerous man who has no regard for the lives and wellbeing of others”.

Detective Inspector Garth Hall, from the Met, said: “It is clear from his behaviour that he is a dangerous man who has no regard for the lives and wellbeing of others."

In the early hours of 26 July 2019, 25-year-old Liam was struck by a Ford S-MAX and dragged for half a mile under the vehicle.

The driver failed to stop at the scene, and the car was later found burnt out about one mile from the collision site.

Emergency services attended and provided Liam with first aid. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident was said to have been in revenge for an altercation outside a pub earlier.

The court heard Eastwood had used a car as a weapon twice previously, leaving another victim with multiple fractures.

Judge Wendy Joseph, who jailed Eastwood, suggested he must have heard his victim screaming.

“There is no way around it, this was a cruel death,” she said.