Emar Wiley: Anniversary of death of beloved dad approaches as "dangerous" killer pays price behind bars

Lewis Bagshaw, aged 21 was in the ‘prime of his life’ and had the ‘world at his feet’ when he was killed in an attack which devastated his family, friends and loved ones.

He was killed in July 2019, and with the anniversary of his tragic death approaching, we take a look back at a crime which caused so much heartache...and left a little boy without his daddy.

Lewis was killed by drug dealer Emar Wiley, who at just 16 years old used to be driven around by older drivers in return for him paying their car insurance policies.

Wiley, formerly of Mason Lathe Road, Shiregeen, told a probation officer he sold £7,500 worth of drugs per week. He began smoking cannabis from the age of 13 or 14 before being recruited to sell drugs.

Tragically, Lewis crossed paths with Wiley on the Southey estate and paid with his life.

The dad-of-one was stabbed following a dispute which arose after Lewis’ father was attacked by Wiley and left with a fractured skull.

When Wiley was jailed in 2020, the judge in the case, Mr Justice Nicklin, described the murder as ‘senseless’.

He said Wiley’s involvement in drug dealing had made him ‘desensitised to violence’.

Just two months after he was jailed for a minimum of 16 years for killing Lewis, Wiley stabbed a prison officer in his head.

He was jailed for another 32 months for that attack, to serve on top of his life sentence, after pleading guilty to wounding with intent.

The judge in that case, Andrew Stubbs, branded Wiley “dangerous” and said he feared the young killer would continue hurting people.

Lewis was in a loving relationship with his partner Olivia and they were parents to their son, Carter, who was just one, at the time of the murder.

Olivia vowed to fight for Wiley to die behind bars “an old man”.

“How can it be fair that when he is in his 30s he gets his freedom back and is able to carry on as though this never happened? It is wrong,” Olivia said.

“He killed somebody in the prime of their life with the world at his feet.”