Justice has been served

Billy Sullivan

A WINCHMORE Hill family spoke of their relief this week after the man who murdered their son on Mother's Day was sentenced to life in prison.

Richard Eccles, 38, a landscape gardener from Leigh Hunt Drive, Southgate, was jailed on Friday after a five-day trial at the Old Bailey. He was found guilty of the murder of 20-year-old Billy Sullivan, a roofer from Carpenter Gardens, on March 10. Eccles denied the charge.

Mr Sullivan was a lifelong resident of Winchmore Hill and attended Winchmore Hill School.

Daniel Sullivan, Billy's father, spoke to the Independent this week. He said: "We feel very good and I think that justice has been served.

"It was a very good judge and jury and they saw through Eccles from the beginning. He just told a pack of lies."

He added: "A lot of the family were there and we all cheered."

He also said: "It was particularly hard for us at the time that it happened on Mother's Day."

The court heard that Eccles, who gave himself up to police three weeks after the killing, had been on a 24-hour drink and drugs binge which culminated in the tragic incident that led to Mr Sullivan's death.

He had been partying throughout the night at a Greek restaurant along with Mr Sullivan's brother Danny but at 7am they moved to Eccles' Mitsubishi pick-up truck where they carried on drinking until the pubs opened.

After that, they moved to the Northern Star pub in High Road, New Southgate, a venue which was described in court as being "rough and tough". Here, he continued drinking and also bought cocaine from a dealer, which he took in the toilets to help keep himself awake.

After getting into an argument, during which Mr Sullivan punched him, he went out to his truck and grabbed a knife. He also turned the truck round so that it was pointing in the right direction for an easy getaway.

When he returned he plunged the knife powerfully into Mr Sullivan's stomach, pushing it so hard that it penetrated his spine and caused his intestines to spill out of his chest.

Bruce Houlder QC, prosecuting, said: "The deceased staggered back, then lifted his shirt to expose the wound then fell to the floor. It was a terrible wound. His intestines were quite literally hanging out."

He died nearly five hours later in hospital after surgeons tried in vain to save him.

12:11 Wednesday 2nd October 2002

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