The disturbing criminal past of teenage murderer Jamie Smith was revealed after he was sentenced to life for a murder which shocked Merseyside.
The 21-year-old has been back before Liverpool crown court this week to admit an attack on a fellow inmate at Hindley prison near Wigan.
Back in 2007 he was aged just 13 when he savagely beat and kicked ‘helpless’ Stephen Croft, 35, to death and threw his body on a bonfire in Birkenhead.
His victim’s charred remains were found in the embers of a public bonfire in the early hours of November 6.
The following year Liverpool crown court was told that the previous evening Smith escaped from care workers trying to return him to a children’s home in Haslingden by breaking a car window and threatening to set off a firework.
"Trainers and tracksuit bottoms were splattered with blood"
He spent the night drinking with Mr Croft by the fire on wasteland near Whetstone Lane. By the end of the evening popular Everton fan Mr Croft, a skilled builder who turned to drink following an industrial accident in 2006, had been incapable of defending himself against Smith’s brutal and unprovoked attack.
When Smith returned to the family home in Birkenhead a relative contacted the authorities. Smith’s trainers and tracksuit bottoms were splattered with Mr Croft’s blood.
After Smith pleaded guilty to murder the court heard he had a lengthy record including eight convictions dating back to 2005 when he assaulted another youngster.
"Trauma, hospitalisation, assault and murder"
In 2007 he was placed under a supervision order for headbutting a boy and stealing his BMX bike.
It was said that aged six Smith lived on the former Ford Estate in Birkenhead and was traumatised after a gang of youths held him over a bonfire.
His father drank heavily and the boy was placed in care at the age of nine after a family member contacted Wirral’s Social Services.
He was housed in Croxteth and began to go to Liverpool city centre clubs associating with older gangs.
While being cared for back in Wirral he was hospitalised after taking four ecstasy tablets.
He was moved to Huddersfield where he was said to be frightened by boys telling him stories about the Moors Murders.
Aged 11 he was placed in Cumbria before he was moved after committing a robbery while back in Wirral.
In September 2007 he was moved to a care home in Haslingdon near Accrington. But after two weeks he began habitually absconding.
He had appeared before the courts just a week before the bonfire killing.
He said that in the weeks leading up to the murder Smith had become increasingly aggressive and on November 3, while on a day trip to Alton Towers, he assaulted another youngster before later turning on a care worker.
The next day he tried to flee the care home in Haslingden, near Accrington, but was taken back – but on the night of November 5 night he escaped again and went on to murder.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/