Dale Martin: Derby father of murder victim says trial was 'hell'

The father of a man who was fatally attacked by an armed gang has described the trial following his son's death as "hell".

Dale Martin, also known as DJ, was dragged out of a car in Derby in June 2025 and repeatedly stabbed and slashed.

On Friday, one man was was given a life sentence , with a minimum term of 27 years, for his murder. Five other men from the city - who were found guilty of manslaughter following a trial more than four months long - were also jailed.

Speaking to the BBC after the sentencing hearing, the victim's father, Dale Martin, said some of the killers went to the same school as his son, and some would come to his house for evening meals as children.

"Some of these children used to hang about on the street late at night, and if we were about and we were cooking tea, someone would come in and have tea in the garden or in the kitchen with us," Martin added.

Martin, said he felt "relief" that court proceedings had now concluded.

"It's been nearly five months of hell to be fair, something we've never gone through and I'd never want to go through it again," he said.

"It hurts, we're just going to go home as a family and just try and get back to some sort of normality which it never will do.

"It'll never come to normality because DJ's not there," Martin added.

"He's always in our thoughts, always in our hearts, he's always here with me, it's just hard and I'm just glad it's all over."

The attack - the court in Loughborough heard - followed a history of "animosity" between two rival groups, stretching back years, and two "tit for tat" confrontations earlier that weekend.

Martin was attacked near to where he had been attending a gender-reveal party several hours earlier at a pub.

The court heard a Renault Megane he was travelling in was ambushed when, "in a show of force", the group put their electric bikes in the road to stop the car, which then swerved and stalled.

Adrian Langdale KC, prosecuting, told the trial, attackers had armed themselves with swords, machetes and "Rambo knives".

Martin was pulled from the car through a smashed window and initially managed to escape, but then tripped on a piece of wood.

His attackers set upon him "like a pack of animals", a witness had told the court.

"Nobody deserves to die the way he died over a 'tit for tat'," Martin said.

"It's just horrible, it's horrible, but he was a lovely lad and he'll be forever missed by a lot of people."

Paying tribute to his son, Martin said the memory he would miss the most was his "smile".

"He was just a proper family lad with a heart of gold and he'd do anything for his family."

Judge Gregory Dickinson KC handed Jayden Mannion-Roberts, 26, of Tennyson Street in Derby, a life sentence, with a minimum term of 27 years, for Martin's murder.

Ki Grant-Finlayson, 23, of Addison Road was sentenced to an 18-year jail term, with a three-year extended licence on release for his "leading role" in the ambush.

Keenan Hamblett, 27, of Osmaston Park Road, was sentenced to 17 and a half years, and Shaylon McCalla, 27, of Copes Way, received 18 years, with a three-year extended licence.

Grant-Finlayson and Hamblett tried to fly one-way to Tunisia following the attack but were arrested at Gatwick airport, each with about £3,000 in cash, the court heard.

The judge gave "enthusiastic participants" in the attack, Kayin Holmes, 25, of Nightingale Road, 15 years, and Kelci Thompson, 19, of Osmaston Road, 10 years, to be served in a young offenders institution.

Dale's younger sister said the 21-year-old was a "very big part" of her life and said "towards the end is when we got closer, we went everywhere together".

"I spent most of my time with him, and it's just hard not having him here," she said.

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