Man jailed for life for beating flatmate to death

A man who beat his vulnerable flatmate to death in Leeds has been sentenced to life in prison.

Scott Silkstone, 51, subjected amputee Dwayne Tuohey to "extreme violence" on New Year's Day using a range of weapons, including a prosthetic leg, crutch and a metal box, police said.

Silkstone, of no fixed abode, dragged Tuohey from his flat and repeatedly stamped on him in public before leaving him unconscious and semi-naked near bins at Gargrave Court in Burmantofts. Tuohey died later in hospital from his injuries.

At Leeds Crown Court on Monday, Silkstone, who was found guilty of murder after a trial in July, was ordered to serve a minimum term of 22 years in jail.

Forensic evidence had revealed blood throughout the flat's living room and on a number of objects, including a prosthetic leg, a crutch, a heater, a shower seat and a metal box, police said.

Experts had concluded that several of those items had been used as weapons, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Following sentencing, Det Insp Jodie Hayes, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "No sentence can ever bring back Dwayne to his loved ones.

"Silkstone carried out a horrific and vicious attack on a vulnerable man he controlled.

"He has never shown any remorse or taken any responsibility for his actions despite the overwhelming evidence against him."

Meanwhile, Tuohey's family said his murder had "changed the way they see the world".

"It has shown us how devastating violent crime is, not only for the person whose life is taken, but also for every family member left behind," they said in a statement.

"It has left us feeling that life can be taken cruelly and without reason," they added.

"The knowledge of how he died has made our grief even more painful, and the trauma we now carry will remain with us for a very long time."

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