Howard Staff death: Girlfriend of 'frail man's' killer avoids jail

The girlfriend of a burglar who killed a "frail'' 66-year-old has avoided prison for giving a false alibi.

Taylor Williams, 18, told police Jack Tebbutt had been with her all day when he was burgling Howard Staff's home in Leicester.

Tebbutt, 20, who barged Mr Staff to the floor during the break-in, was jailed for nearly six years for manslaughter.

Williams previously admitted perverting the course of justice and was handed a two-year community order.

Nadia Silver, prosecuting, said Williams lied to police several times before confessing, but claimed it was to cover up her boyfriend's drug dealing, and that she knew nothing about the investigation into Mr Staff's death.

However, Leicester Crown Court heard Williams, of Orson Drive in Wigston, had searched online for "how long do murder and burglary investigations take".

On Friday, she agreed she had lied in order to hinder what was originally a murder investigation.

On 13 January 2020, Tebbutt - who had cared for Mr Staff on 11 occasions - broke into the house on Gibson Close and took a tub containing "hundreds of pounds".

He "pushed and barged" Mr Staff, who was frail and housebound, causing him to fall and suffer a punctured lung.

He died the next day in hospital.

Sarah Cornish, defending, called Williams an "immature and highly suggestible" teenager, easily influenced by her older boyfriend.

Judge Phillip Head said Williams had committed "a very serious offence" which would usually involve a jail sentence, but he had taken into account her age and situation.

"You deliberately set out to put the police off in that investigation by lying to them," he said.

"It is clear you were immature and suggestible, although perfectly capable and determined enough to persist in lies to police and this court for some considerable period."

Williams was also given a four-month curfew, 30 days of rehabilitation, and told to pay £800 in prosecution costs.

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