Aaron Ray

The offence

What the court heard

He was found guilty of murder in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, on 24 September 2022. Sentencing Remarks Introduction 1. Aaron Ray, you fall to be sentenced for the murder of Jason Brockbanks on 24th September 2022 of which you were convicted by the Jury. You are aged 21, as you were at the date of this offence. The Victim: Jason Brockbanks 2. Jason Brockbanks had turned 24 years old just 9 days before he was killed. He was a student at Northumbria University, and he had his whole life in front of him. As shown by the evidence of Dr Bolton, he was fit and healthy. He is described by his parents as, and I quote, "a loving, kind, gentle soul who shied away from confrontation and who hated violence. He had a huge heart and a passion for life. He was a young and talented man who had so many dreams to realise Jason's loss has impacted the whole family including his elderly Grandparents, his Aunts and Uncles, his Nephew and Nieces who are of a similar age and his many friends. We all miss his laughter, his infectious smile and his company. There is a void in our lives that can never be filled and the pain we feel will never leave us. Our lives will never be the same and not a day goes by when we do not feel Jason's loss. As parents Jason's death has affected us psychologically and physically. We have had so many difficult and tearful days and we know there are so many more to come. There have also been so many sleepless nights and we often wake in the night with feelings of such immense sadness. News reports of violence triggers feelings of anger and sadness. Every Christmas day, Birthday, Mother's day and Father's day brings an influx of so many emotions that cannot be truly comprehended if you have not experienced the pain of losing a child. We miss Jason so very much." The Circumstances of the Offence 3. The background to this murder is that you and Jason met in about June 2022 and formed a relationship. You had previously had relationships with Jonathan Stokoe and Jay Wills-Fascia. Both of those previous boyfriends spoke of the effect of alcohol on you. Jay Wills-Fascia told how, after you were drinking, you became disconnected, obsessively possessive, jealous and violent. You made threats to kill him and members of his family and he felt the need to obtain a non-molestation injunction against you. He said that when you are drunk, anything can kick you off. Jonathan Stokoe, although not suggesting that you were violent, described you as alcoholic,…

Aggravating and mitigating factors

Age / Youth and immaturity of the offender; Planned / Premeditated / Degree of Planning; Acting under the influence of drugs or drink; Weapons / Use of weapon/s; Mental Health - Bipolar Disorder / Depression / Depressive disorder / Depressive episode; Offender characteristics / Matters special to the offender such as illness, disability, work or family difficulties etc

Around this case

• Newcastle Crown Court
• Prosecuted by CPS North East
• Investigated by Northumbria Police