Boy, 15, and two men spent first weekend behind bars over Jerry Appicella killing

They were jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday over the killing of Jerry Appicella in Denaby Main, Doncaster in 2019.

The group ‘brutally attacked’ the 51-year-old in an alleyway ambush as he made his way home from his local shop on December 3.

Mr Appicella managed to get home after the attack, but his body was discovered by police officers 12 days later after his family reported him missing.

Shae Nicholson, 20, was found guilty of murder and jailed for life. He was ordered to swerve a minimum of 15 years behind bars.

Martell Fabian Brown, 24, was jailed for six years after being found guilty of manslaughter.

And a 15 year old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 30 years after also being found guilty of manslaughter.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector, Simon Palmer, said: “This was a horrific attack on a man who was a familiar face in his community.

“Whilst Mr Appicella lived a mainly solitary life, he tragically came into the orbit of these men that evening, who attacked him because they wanted to, and because they could.

“Our investigation revealed that they ambushed Mr Appicella, with Nicholson lying in wait and the rest of the group stalking Mr Appicella until he was alone and out of sight. Having suffered severe head injuries, Mr Appicella, with the help of a member of the public, managed to get home, assuring her that he would be ok.

“Locking his door behind him, Mr Appicella succumbed to the injuries inflicted by these shameless thugs.”

CCTV footage obtained by the investigation team captured the hours leading up the attack, the attack itself and the aftermath, which saw Nicholson return to the scene, bragging about his actions.

DCI Palmer added: “Once we had identified those involved, our detectives took to the streets of Denaby Main, carrying out extensive house-to-house enquiries to track the group down.

“Despite their efforts to evade us, Brown for example was arrested after being found in a wheelie bin, they were swiftly charged, much to the relief of the community.”

The court heard that whilst the groups motive for the attack was simply ‘because they wanted to’, there were other possible catalysts, such as Mr Appicella’s appearance, his sexuality or his alcohol dependency.

DCI Palmer added: “It is absolutely right that we have seen significant custodial sentences served in this case, Mr Appicella was subjected to horrendous levels of violence.

“This incident shocked the community, who do not deserve to see such crimes committed on their streets. Innocent people do not deserve to be caught up in such acts of violence, Mr Appicella did not deserve to have his life ended in this way.

“I hope the fact that these individuals have been jailed is of some reassurance to the community and that they feel a little safer knowing these young men are behind bars.

“Sadly, I know it is of little comfort to Mr Appicella’s mother and brother, who have lost someone they loved dearly. I would like them to know our thoughts remain with them today.”

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