Family of Lancashire 19-year-old murdered in fatal stabbing pay tribute to 'compassionate, loving and funny young man'

With officers attending reports of an ongoing disturbance on Railway Road in Ormskirk at 12.05am on July 29, a 19-year-old man from Liverpool now named as Matthew Daulby was found a short distance away with stab injuries. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Matthew died later in hospital.

Lancashire Police said their thoughts were with Matthew’s loved ones, who are being supported by specially-trained officers, at this extremely distressing time. A post-mortem examination to establish the cause of Matthew’s death will take place in due course.

In a tribute, Matthew’s family said: “Matthew was the most compassionate, loving and funny young man with a bright future ahead of him. He adored his family, and cared for them with utmost loyalty. He loved spending time with them and gave his love so generously, making sure everyone knew how much he loved them.

“He had a zest for life and was always looking forward to holidays with his family and friends,” they added. “He was surrounded by love from his family and we will miss him every day, for the rest of our lives.”

At the scene, a second 19-year-old man was also treated for stab injuries and was taken to hospital where his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. A 19-year-old man from Liverpool and a 19-year-old man from Melling have been arrested on suspicion of affray. They remain in custody at this time, with a significant area within the town centre having been secured as a crime scene.

As part of their enquiries, Lancashire Police are asking for anyone with information or CCTV, dashcam, or mobile phone footage which could assist the investigation to come forward.

DCI Andy Fallows, from the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “This incident has resulted in a young man losing his life and first and foremost my thoughts are with Matthew’s loved ones at this time. We have launched a murder investigation and there are a number of individuals we are looking to identify and speak to. Although we are looking into what led to the altercation in Railway Road, this is being treated as an isolated incident.

“You will see a number of officers carrying out enquiries in the area over the coming days and I would encourage anybody with information pertinent to this investigation to come forward,” he added. “We are particularly keen to hear from anybody who has footage from Railway Road and surrounding streets in the minutes before the altercation took place and the minutes after. You could have captured something that could be key to this investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to 101, quoting log 1007 of July 29, 2023. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. You can upload information and footage directly