Man jailed for life for the murder of William Phelan in Manchester in 2018

A man from Manchester has been jailed for life after being convicted of murder for the second time.

William Phelan's body was found in Harpurhey in March 2018 and Matthew Jones convicted of his murder three years later.

William had suffered knife wounds believed to have been inflicted up six weeks before that ultimately caused his death.

Jones (10/12/1978), of no fixed abode, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years in 2021 but the conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal and a retrial ordered.

Yesterday (2/5/24), Jones was unanimously convicted by a jury of William’s murder at Manchester Crown Court.

Today, Jones was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years and 82 days.

The court heard how on the morning of Monday 19 March 2018, police forced entry into William’s home address on Kilnside Drive, Harphurhey, after reports of concern for his welfare.

Officers discovered William’s body and he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, aged 39.

Due to the visible injuries on his body, we launched a murder investigation into his death.

While moving his body from the scene, officers found a large kitchen knife under William and a subsequent post-mortem later confirmed William died of multiple stab wounds.

Enquiries from detectives in GMP’s Major Incident Team uncovered several sightings of William with Jones, who witnesses said was referred to as his brother ‘Will’.

Forensic examiners identified Jones’ fingerprints on the knife before investigators meticulously tracked Jones’ movements back to a secure unit at Prestwich Hospital.

Jones was eventually interviewed and charged with William's murder in July 2019.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola McCulloch, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “This has been a traumatic six years for William’s family, who have not only had to suffer such an inconceivable loss, but also patiently wait for justice.

“They have shown such tremendous bravery and dignity throughout and I hope that today’s verdict offers them some closure on the worst time of their lives.

“This was a tragic case where a man murdered someone who was supposed to be his friend and left their loves ones with such insufferable consequences.

“This investigation by its nature has had delays and setbacks but our dedicated team have ensured throughout that no stone has been left unturned and that justice is ultimately delivered for the family and loved ones of William, who will never be forgotten."

William's sister Melanie issued a new tribute to William on behalf of the family following the second conviction.

It read: "William was a kind gentle soul, he had his ups and downs in life but he was always smiling, he loved listening to music and just wanted to live a peaceful life.

"He fought hard to make a recovery from his own illness, and he even talked about wanting to start his own family. He had a heart of gold. Matthew has taken that away from him.

"When my mum found out that William had been murdered, it broke her heart.

"She was unable to sleep or eat and cried every day. It prematurely aged her.

"She thought justice had been served after the first trial; however she sadly passed away shortly after finding out that Matthew had won an appeal against his conviction.

"My mum will never know the outcome now and what justice William has received. Hopefully she will now be reunited with William."