Bid by Didcot murderers to overturn convictions is refused by Court of Appeal

The men, who were just 19 when they fatally stabbed 44-year-old Darren MacCormick in January 2020, sought to persuade judges at London’s Royal Courts of Justice that their convictions for murder and wounding with intent were unsafe.

Lawyers for the pair claimed the judge at their trial in Oxford Crown Court last year should have offered jurors the chance to consider alternative charges of manslaughter and wounding.

Dismissing the appeal on Wednesday afternoon, Lady Justice Macur said: "We find nothing wrong with the manner in which the judge summed up the case to the jury.

"We find nothing wrong in his declining to leave the alternative counts to the jury.

"And we do not consider that this appeal raises any questions as to the safety of the convictions.”

Brookton Lagan (left) and Taison Cyrille (right). Picture: Thames Valley Police

Mr MacCormick died when he was stabbed through the lung during an argument in the early hours of January 9 last year. The argument had its origins in drug dealing.

Dad of three Mr MacCormick was staying with friend Robin Over at his home in Didcot.

Mr Over was apparently angry at not having been paid for acting as driver to drug dealer Lagan.

On January 8, Lagan went to Mr Over’s home, where they argued. The teen kicked a door and smashed a window on the way out – losing his temper after threats were made to his mum, he claimed.

In the early hours of the following morning, Mr MacCormick opened the front door to find Lagan, Cyrille and third man Isaac Boyland on the doorstep. Lagan was said to have hit Mr MacCormick in the face, although the youngster claimed the punch was thrown by someone standing behind him.

The murder scene in Mendip Heights, Didcot

Over the next hour, Mr MacCormick’s group – which included friends Matthew Ryman and Floyd Kennedy – were said to have made a number of calls to the aggressors in an attempt to ‘calm’ things down.

Just before 4am, Lagan, Cyrille and Mr Boyland returned – driven by Toby Hooper. In the fight that followed, Mr MacCormick was killed, Mr Ryman – who it was claimed was wielding a golf club – was stabbed in the thigh and Mr Kennedy was pulled from a car and struck in the head.

Lagan was said to have got back into the car and, according to driver Mr Hooper, told the two in the back words to the effect of: “What the f***ing hell are you playing at? What were you doing? You were not meant to go that deep.”

A knife attributed to Lagan had Mr MacCormick’s blood on it, although he claimed he’d not stabbed the man and it had got on the weapon by ‘secondary transfer’ from Cyrille’s clothing, which was ‘covered in blood’.

Handout image of knife in Darren MacCormick murder case Picture: TVP/CPS

The killers were arrested on January 10 at Luton Airport as they tried to board a plane to Amsterdam.

Lawyers claimed that Lagan’s reported comment in the car that the men were ‘not meant to go that deep’ showed he had not intended to cause really serious harm.

However, delivering the court’s judgement, Lady Justice Macur said: “We prefer the submissions of the prosecution on this point that the evidence itself shows the following.

“First, that all three of the defendants carried knives. Secondly, that there was a plan to use them. Third, that the conversation could only refer to using the knives to wound not to frighten or...defend. Fourth, that it is absolutely illogical to suggest that it could support a suggestion that the plan was to use knives to stab only to a limited extent so as only to do minor harm.

“In these circumstances, we find that there is no error on the part of the judge to leave the count of manslaughter to the jury. There was no available evidence which suggested other than an intent to do really serious harm.”

Four days before Christmas last year, Lagan, of Robin Way, Didcot, and Cyrille, of Market End Way, Bicester, were given each life sentences with a minimum tariff of 19 years in jail. They were both convicted of murder, wounding with intent and conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Mr Boyland was acquitted.

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