Chesterfield man jailed after churchyard murder

A man has been jailed after killing another man in the grounds of a Chesterfield church.

Melusi Madaweni, of Chester Street in Chesterfield, was convicted of murder last week, following a trial at Derby Crown Court.

At 12.55am on Sunday 7 August 2022 town centre CCTV operators alerted police officers to a man who was in the area wearing just his trousers and a face covering.

They had in turn been contacted by a nearby bar who had refused him entry, believing he may have been carrying a screwdriver.

Just four minutes later officers stopped the 30-year-old, who had been 29 at the time, running near to Chesterfield Parish Church, the Crooked Spire.

He told police that someone had tried to attack him, and that he had taken the screwdriver from them.

Officers then discovered Billy Pearson, unconscious on the floor of the church yard.

At hospital, almost a week later his family, supported by doctors, had to make the decision to turn off his life support.

Madaweni denied the offence, but he was found guilty at a hearing on the 15th of February.

Detective Inspector Steve Shaw led the investigation into Billy’s death. He said:

“This was a tragic loss of life; Billy Pearson had been doing what many people do and been for an evening out socialising with his friends.

“At the end of the night, Billy had a chance encounter with Melusi Madaweni, an argument occurred, and a small fight broke out. That should have been the end of it.

DI Shaw added:

“As always, a guilty verdict can never bring a loved one back, but I do hope it goes a little way towards providing some justice for Billy’s family and friends.”

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