Father jailed for murder he tried to blame on 14-year-old son

A father who tried to pin a murder on his 14-year-old son has been jailed for life.

Matthew Moseley, 50, handed his son Thomas a shotgun seconds after murdering Lee Holt, 32, on his doorstep.

He pressured the boy into telling police that he had pulled the trigger outside their home near Accrington, Lancashire.

A court heard Thomas had been involved in a long-running dispute with Mr Holt's stepson, Wesley Metcalf.

And at around 8.25pm on October 25, last year, Mr Holt went to Mr Moseley's home unarmed, along with some other family members.

Moseley claimed the shooting was an accident after he grabbed the semi-automatic Beretta weapon from his son and it ‘just went off'.

Out of love and loyalty to his father, the teenager made a fake confession to police when they arrived at the family home.

Thomas was arrested and when led away in handcuffs he said to his father: ‘I'm sorry dad, I'm really sorry.'

But when questioned by officers, Thomas admitted he was covering for his father who he ‘loved to bits'.

He told police: ‘I thought I was covering for my dad, sticking up for him.

‘He is my dad. I love him to bits but you would think he would take responsibility for what he has done and not let his son take the blame for him.'

In a witness statement, Thomas said he was passed the gun by his dad after the shot had been fired.

The court heard Moseley told his son: ‘Tell them you have done it because you can't get done for it.'



METRO UK

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