Prison time for woman who helped killer hide phone

A woman has been jailed for two and a half years for perverting the course of public justice after a man was fatally attacked in an underpass.

John Davies, 34, from Glebe Farm in Milton Keynes, died from head injuries three days after the assault in Wavendon Gate on 23 October 2023.

At Aylesbury Crown Court, Bethany Coyle, 29, of Barton upon Humber in Lincolnshire, admitted to a count of committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.

Thames Valley Police said that on the day Davies died, she helped Wesley Atick, who committed the assault, dispose of his clothing and mobile phone.

In 2024, Atick was jailed for life at Oxford Crown Court with a minimum term of 15 years in prison.

He had pleaded guilty to one count of murder the month before.

Senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Will Crowther said: "The support she provided to Atick by getting rid of his clothing and phone meant that key evidence in a murder enquiry was disposed of and never recovered.

"This is an appalling case of perverting the course of justice, which made our investigation more challenging.

"Coyle's actions have brought even more suffering onto a grieving family. I sincerely hope that this sentence today provides John's family with more answers about what happened in the period after his death, and helps them begin to move forward with their lives."

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