THE family of a beloved father-of-three who was stabbed to death near his home in Harlow have thanked the investigative team who brought his killer to justice.

Tieran Carmody, 19, was jailed for life today (Monday 5 August), following a trial held at Chelmsford Crown Court.

He will serve a minimum of 26 years before he can be considered for parole.

Carmody inflicted a single, fatal stab wound on 35-year-old Max Richardson on Monday 21 August last year.

That evening, Max had confronted Carmody near to his home and a children’s play park in Joyners Field, Harlow.

Carmody had been loitering near properties and the play park, making children in the area feel uncomfortable.

Max, alongside neighbours, approached him as he stood astride a bicycle smoking cannabis.

Carmody lashed out at Max, pushing him over a large branch which was lying on the ground nearby, causing him to fall to the floor.

After shoving Max away, Carmody was seen to walk back towards his bike. He grabbed his rucksack, from which he drew a long, bladed weapon.

Returning to Max, who by this point held his hands up in a surrendering motion, Carmody stabbed his victim once through the stomach.

Witnesses described this assault as a calm and deliberate act.

He was seen to return the blade to a sheath and stow it back inside his rucksack, before fleeing the scene on his bicycle.

Our officers and paramedics arrived and provided immediate care to Max, but he was sadly pronounced dead while en-route to hospital.

A manhunt was launched and images of Carmody, taken from doorbell and CCTV footage, were analysed and released to the public.

We were able to build a timeline of his movements, establishing he was helped by 19-year-old Harrison Barnett.

Carmody and Barnett were captured on CCTV at a shop in Pitsea, and leaving a pub in Benfleet, in the days following the murder.

Our investigation revealed Barnett had provided shelter to Carmody, allowing him to use his mobile phone to speak with friends and family, and to conduct internet searches.

On Barnett’s phone, we found searches for our appeal and news articles covering the stabbing.

A further internet search queried how a person can leave the country without a passport.

Barnett, of St Marys Crescent, Basildon, was arrested and later denied a charge of perverting the course of justice.

He stood trial alongside Carmody and was convicted. 

At Monday’s sentencing hearing (5 August), held at Southwark Crown Court, Barnett was sentenced to a total of 18 months’ imprisonment. 

This included a three-month prison term for breaching a suspended prison sentence he was already serving.

Victim impact statements were read to the court on behalf of Max’s partner Sarah and his mum Carol.

Carol said:

“I would like to thank the police, the prosecutors, and the jurors for all of their hard work in relation to this case.

“I also would like to thank the judge, who recognised that this was a brutal murder.
“Having to sit in court and see what we have seen and hear what we have heard is replaying and haunting me on a daily basis.

“Having to say goodbye to someone you love, my son, breaks my heart into small pieces.
“We all miss you and love you so much, rest in peace with Nan now Max.”

Sarah told the court she also drafted her statement on behalf of their three children, aged 13, six and two.

She said:

“No one will ever understand the impact of witnessing your partner of 14 years and the father of your three children, being murdered right in front of you and that feeling of instantly losing it all.

“Max was not only a partner and a father, but he was also a son and a brother and again no-one can ever know how that feels to lose a son or a brother in these tragic circumstances.

“Mine and my children’s lives have been torn apart and our lives will never be the same again after losing Max.
“The heartache and pain this has caused us cannot even be put into words. You have taken someone from us that can never be replaced, ever.

“Tieran Carmody, you have significantly affected not only my life but my children’s lives too.
“You have put us through so much trauma and heartache, you have destroyed our lives forever and we now somehow have to carry on with our lives without Max.

“You have created an empty space in our lives, and I hope that you now feel the pain that we are all feeling and realise just how much you have damaged our lives for good especially the lives of our three innocent children.
“I am still very much in denial of this catastrophic crime you have committed.
“The shock and the numbness you have caused us, the fear and the anxiety of going about our daily routines is relentless.

“No-one will ever truly understand the pain and suffering me and my children are feeling right now. Our lives will never be the same again.
“You have not only taken Max from us but you have destroyed us and our future.”

Detective Chief Inspector Ashley Howard, of our Serious Crime Directorate, said:

“In a matter of seconds, Max Richardson was mortally wounded in a brutal and entirely senseless act of violence.
“He wanted to ensure his children felt safe in the public space near their home, he wanted to tell Tieran Carmody to stop scaring them.
“Carmody responded with needless ferocity, using a large knife to swiftly and deliberately end Max’s life.

“In doing so, he left Max’s loving family utterly devastated.
“Max’s family have sat through a difficult trial with dignity and restraint, now speaking of the impact of this horrific crime.
“Their lives have been torn apart. Their loss cannot be put into words.
“It is my hope that the knowledge Carmody, and his accomplice Harrison Barnett, have been brought to justice and put behind bars, will help them move forward as best they can.

“Tieran Carmody murdered a stranger, for no other reason than the fact that stranger had dared to stand up to him.
“From the outset of this investigation, my team has worked hard to establish the facts, to gather the evidence and to ensure a concrete case was put before the jury.
“There is never a good reason to carry a knife in public, particularly a knife of this horrifying nature, and no world in which it can be justified.

“This is a challenge we continue to face and tackle as best we can.
“We know the majority of knife crime in Essex is perpetrated by young men and boys.

“It is vital we keep working to take these horrendous weapons off our streets and engage with our partners to address and understand why young people choose to carry these knives.

“Carmody has forever blighted the life of his victim’s family, but he has also ruined his own life.
“He will spend his best years where he belongs – in a prison cell.”