Teen’s Stabbing Killer Arrested 18 Months After Fleeing UK

DOWNLOAD IPFS

A fugitive who stabbed a teenager to death during a night out has finally been brought to justice after 18 months on the run across Europe. The moment police arrested Thomas Dures as he returned to the UK earlier this year has now been shared by authorities, marking the end of a long and painful wait for the victim’s grieving family.

Thomas Dures, now 22, was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the murder of 19-year-old Matthew Daulby, who was killed during a violent confrontation in Ormskirk, Lancashire, in July 2023. The attack also left a second man injured. Despite being swiftly identified as a suspect, Dures managed to evade authorities, fleeing the country and living abroad for over a year.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage shown during the trial revealed Dures and another man, Henry Houghton, lying in wait in an alleyway shortly before the attack took place. Armed with a lock knife, Dures was seen approaching a group that included Matthew, while Houghton followed, wielding a sock filled with a rock as a crude weapon.

Matthew was struck on the head, leaving him disoriented. Moments later, Dures delivered a fatal stab wound to his chest. Despite efforts by emergency medical teams, Matthew was pronounced dead in the hospital. A Home Office post-mortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was a single stab wound to the chest.

Following the attack, Dures fled the scene, discarding his jacket on a park bench and dumping the knife in a narrow passageway near Ormskirk Parish Church. Both the jacket and the weapon were later discovered by a dog walker and an estate agent and handed over to the police as evidence.

Efforts to locate Dures were launched immediately, with multiple public appeals issued by Lancashire Constabulary. However, the suspect managed to escape abroad and remained at large, while the Daulby family was left in limbo, awaiting justice.

It wasn’t until January 2025 that Dures surrendered himself to authorities at a police station in Greece. He was extradited shortly after and arrested upon arrival at a UK airport, where officers were waiting on the tarmac to detain him.

In a statement released by Lancashire Police, the force said: “The Daulby family have had to wait patiently for the man responsible for delivering the fatal injury to answer for his crimes.” They added that Dures had chosen to celebrate his 21st birthday in the sun while Matthew’s loved ones continued to mourn.

Police also condemned Dures’ conduct in court: “He pointed the finger of blame at everybody but himself and took no accountability for his actions. Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and ensured that Dures will be held accountable for his crimes.”

The jury at Preston Crown Court took less than three hours to reach their verdict, convicting Dures of both murder and the wounding of the second victim. He was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the fatal attack.

In a statement read aloud during sentencing, Matthew’s mother, Angela, called Dures’ actions “cowardly” and spoke of the lasting pain inflicted on their family. She said they had been forced to endure situations they “would never have imagined having to do.” His father, Gary, described Matthew as “kind, funny, clever and fiercely loyal,” and said their lives had been “shattered beyond recognition.”