Woman jailed for manslaughter after 'personal vendetta' leads to tragic murder of Fleetwood man

Raymond Cullen, known locally as "Irish Ray", was pronounced dead by paramedics at an address in Bold Street at around 2.15am on October 10, 2019.

The 55-year-old had suffered "significant head injuries" during a "violent assault", in which paint had also been poured over his body "in a final act of humiliation."

After launching a murder investigation, detectives were approached by a witness who said they had spoken with Tracey Fielding, Mr Cullen's former partner, at The Bug Pub in Fleetwood.

The witness claimed Fielding said her boyfriend, David Carney, had "left Ray for dead" and she was going to be arrested for conspiracy and jailed.

Officers quickly arrested Carney and Fielding on suspicion of murder.

A review of CCTV footage found Carney, who was wearing a Superdry jacket and Timberland footwear, had approached Mr Cullen's address at around 1.50am on October 8, 2019.

He was then seen walking away from the scene at around 1.55am.

During a search of Carney's address, police recovered his jacket and Timberland boots which matched the footprints at the scene. Tests also found traces of Mr Cullen's blood on the boots.

Carney, 38, initially denied having any contact with Mr Cullen but later pleaded guilty to his murder. Fielding pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

She admitted to telling Carney ‘to go round and give Ray a slap’, but she said she did not intend for Mr Cullen to be seriously harmed.

Det Ch Insp Zoe Russo, of Lancashire Police’s Force Major Investigation Team, said: "At Fielding’s instigation, David Carney, her boyfriend, launched a violent and brutal assault which resulted in Mr Cullen’s death.

"Following the attack, in a final act of humiliation, David Carney poured paint over his body. This act was to prove key to the police investigation, with footprints found at the scene later matching David Carney’s boots.

"After the attack Carney returned to Fielding’s address. Text message and phone call exchanges showed she was aware of the attack.

"The pair are dangerous and unashamed individuals. Both eventually admitted their guilt, but only following the weight of evidence presented to them. We welcome the sentences handed down at court and hope they provide some form of closure for Mr Cullen’s family."

In a statement, Mr Cullen’s family said "words can't describe how it feels to have a loved one murdered."

They said: "Our father was our best friend growing up and we will never forget the memories, love and support he showed us in his life. He was extremely proud of his daughters and his grandchildren. His whole family meant everything to him and we are all completely devastated beyond words.

"I am glad justice has been served for our dad, but no time will ever be long enough, as our life sentence has only just begun and will live on with us forever.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked tirelessly on his case and for the support you have given to our family.

"We miss our dad every single day but can now let him rest."

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