Life sentence for murderer who stabbed Newark dad to death

A knife-carrier has been jailed for life – one year to the day that he was arrested for murdering a Newark dad.

Body-worn video showed Brandon Byrne asking officers "did he die?" when he was confronted about killing James Cook.

Father-of-three Mr Cook was chased down and stabbed to death by the 23-year-old only hours earlier following an argument in a pub.

An already-armed Byrne pulled out a blade and hunted his victim down – just minutes after the two had come to blows in Newark town centre.

Both men had been inside a pub, standing in separate groups around a pool table, when something was said that prompted things to suddenly boil over.

When Mr Cook aimed a headbutt at Byrne and he responded by throwing a punch, the two men then became embroiled in a brawl.

Byrne sustained a significant facial injury in the ensuing fight and – clearly incensed by this – went looking for retribution after the duo were both ejected from the venue. 

Having left through the rear exit, Byrne was seen on CCTV to pull out a knife and walk around towards the front of the pub, where Mr Cook had just left with his group.

The pair's paths crossed soon after – around 11.50pm on 30 April last year – with Byrne seen to initially walk slowly, with knife in hand, down Stodman Street. 

He then suddenly pulled out the blade and started chasing after 40-year-old Mr Cook, who he proceeded to stab in nearby Castle Gate. 

Not content with what he'd already done, Byrne kicked his victim in the head, before stabbing him a second time as he lay defenceless on the ground. 

The knifeman then walked away from the scene, having inflicted unsurvivable injuries on Mr Cook.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on 1 May 2025.    

By 4.09am that same day, Byrne – who was 22 at the time – had been identified, tracked down and detained at an address by police.

Despite the considerable evidence against him, he pleaded not guilty to murder which prompted the need for a trial.

Byrne, formerly of Winston Court, Newark, belatedly pleaded guilty to the separate charge of possessing an offensive weapon in public, meanwhile.

The murder trial at Nottingham Crown Court began on Monday 13 April and ran until yesterday (30 April), when the jury returned a guilty verdict.

Ahead of Byrne being sentenced earlier today (1 May), Mr Cook's wife Adele paid tribute to her husband as part of her victim impact statement.

James Cook

She said:

"James was the greatest dad and the greatest love of my life.

"He was my partner, my protector and my best friend. To my children, he was their hero."

Passing a life sentence against Byrne, Judge Steven Coupland confirmed his killing of Mr Cook was motivated by "anger and revenge."

Byrne must serve a minimum of 23 years in prison, taking into account time served, before he can be considered for parole.

Detective Constable Kimberley Priestley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

"It's been almost a year to the day since Brandon Byrne turned the lives of James Cook's family upside down.

"They've been put through hell since he produced a knife and callously murdered their loved one with it that night on 30 April last year.

"That senseless decision came only minutes after the two men had a fight in a Newark pub which resulted in Byrne sustaining a facial injury. 

"Byrne was clearly enraged by this and refused to let it go, instead deciding to hunt Mr Cook down and stab him to death in the street.

"If that disgraceful display of violence wasn't bad enough, Byrne then made things even worse in the months that followed with his not guilty pleas.

"While the outcome of this trial and the sentencing that has now been passed will never bring Mr Cook back, our hope is that it will help his family as they continue to grieve."