Newcastle Man Convicted Of Attempted Murder

16 March 2018, 16:13 | Updated: 16 March 2018, 16:15

A Newcastle man has been convicted of an attack in which he left his victim with life-changing injuries, before setting his house on fire to hide the evidence.

Steve Clark, 35, was found guilty of attempted murder after he left 44-year-old Lee Bone for dead at an address on Wigmore Avenue in Walker.

On the morning of July 22, Clark was with Lee at the victim's terraced home in the east end when a fight broke out.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how he then brutally assaulted Lee before he set his house on fire, leaving his body there to burn alive.

Two neighbours noticed smoke coming from the property and rushed inside before dragging Lee to safety.

He was taken to hospital by paramedics with injuries consistent with blunt force trauma and even bite marks.

Doctors were able to resuscitate him before he was immediately taken into surgery in order for fragments of bone to be removed from his brain.

Lee remains in hospital today, more than seven months after the attack, with injuries that are described as life-changing and were so serious he was unable to give evidence in court.

Clark, of Renwick Street, Newcastle, denied attempted murder but was found guilty by a jury and remanded in custody by a judge.

Following the case, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Paul Woods said: 
"This was a brutal and savage attack that has changed Mr Bone's life forever and we still do not know if he will ever make a full recovery."

"Steven Clark is a violent offender whose intention was to brutally assault his man, leave him in to die in his own home and then destroy any evidence of his crimes by setting the place on fire."

"It was only because of the heroic actions of the victim's neighbours that Clark did not succeed with his violent plan."

"Our detectives have worked hard to gather witness accounts, carry out forensics and establish a timeline of events to put Clark before a court."

"It is very satisfying to see a jury convict him of the charges he faced and we now hope to see him put behind bars for a significant period of time."

Clark will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday 11th May.