20-year-old jailed after fatally stabbing man in Ellesmere Port
It followed an altercation about an e-bike
A 20-year-old man has been jailed for 13 years for fatally stabbing a man in Ellesmere Port.
Ben Ruddock, of Kendal Drive, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, was found not guilty of the murder of 34-year-old Lloyd Velasquez, but guilty of manslaughter in January following a 15-day trial at Chester Crown Court.
Lloyd, and a female friend of his, went to Ruddock's house at around 7:15pm on Wednesday 1 May 2024 to collect an e-bike which they believed had been stolen from an associate.
There was a minor altercation between Lloyd and Ruddock - the e-bike was then recovered and Lloyd and his friend left.
Ruddock then sent several threatening voice notes to the woman's phone, directed towards Lloyd.
He then armed himself with a knife from a barbecue set and told Lloyd to meet him at a park.
At around 8:10pm, Lloyd and his friend were driving along Hullybush Way in Ellesmere Port when they saw Ruddock, who was with two other men.
When Lloyd got out of the car, an altercation ensued and Ruddock took a knife from his waistband and brandished it, which led Lloyd to get back in the car and leave.
Lloyd's friends then got more threatening voice notes from Ruddock, before they cane across him and the same two men along Summertrees Road.
Lloyd again got out of the car, and during an altercation, Ruddock took the knife and stabbed Lloyd, before running away.
Paramedics and officers rushed to the scene and took Lloyd to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Chester Crown Court heard that Ruddock then went to his house and left the knife in the garden before going to another house to change his blood-stained clothes.
He then arranged to be driven to Hapsford Services before booking a taxi and travelling to a house in Merseyside.
Officers went to Ruddock's house in Ellesmere Port that evening and seized the weapon, before arresting him at the Merseyside address he fled to during the early hours of 2 May.
The following day, a post-mortem revealed that Lloyd died from a stab wound to the chest.
Ruddock was charged with murder the same day - but later found guilty of manslaughter.
Detective Inspector Andrea Price said:
"While no sentence is going to bring Lloyd back, I hope the conclusion of this investigation and subsequent court process will help to bring some closure to his family and friends, knowing Ruddock has been jailed.
"I hope this serves as a warning of the dangers of knife crime"
"This incident was entirely avoidable. Ruddock chose to arm himself with a knife and made continued threats towards Lloyd. The incident itself was over in a matter of seconds – and I hope this serves as a warning of the dangers of knife crime and the devastating consequences it can have.
"Instead of owning up to what he had done, Ruddock chose to flee Cheshire. Thankfully he was later arrested in Merseyside and now, as a result of our investigation and the evidence against him, he has been jailed for the manslaughter of Lloyd.
"Our thoughts remain with Lloyd’s family and friends at this difficult time."
In a statement, Lloyd's mother said:
"There are no words to describe the amount of hurt and heartache Lloyd’s death has left, not only for his immediate family, relatives and close friends, but for his baby son, born just nine weeks after Lloyd was tragically killed on that fateful day on 1 May 2024.
"Everyone who mourns Lloyd knew him and loved him. Yet, his son will never have the opportunity to meet and get to know his dad, something no child should have to endure. And from Lloyd’s baby's point of view, justice will never be served.
"Lloyd is not able to speak for himself, and sadly two lives have been ruined as the result of Ben Ruddock’s horrific actions."
In a statement, Lloyd's father said:
"The family would like to thank everyone involved regarding the investigation into the death of Lloyd Velasquez. From the police and legal team for their swift capture of the offender and work on the case, to the bystanders and ambulance service who assisted at the scene.
"We are so grateful for all their hard work and support throughout this awful ordeal.
"Our Lloyd was a much-loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle, and dad to the lovely son who he sadly never got the chance to meet. The loss of Lloyd has left a massive hole in all of our lives. We can now only cherish our memories of him."