EXCLUSIVE: Mother whose 19-year-old son was killed in ‘ferocious and unprovoked’ attack tells of her ‘anger and relief’ as thug behind it dies while serving his life sentence

A mother whose 19-year-old son was murdered in a ‘ferocious and unprovoked’ attack has told of her ‘anger and relief’ as one of the killers dies while serving his life sentence.

Craig Hepburn died after he was stabbed 11 times while walking home from a pub, where he had been playing the bagpipes, with his friend Conor Paton, 19, in Marsden, West Yorkshire, on 6 July 2012.

The teenagers were down from Scotland visiting Mr Hepburn’s relatives and were heading back to his uncles house when Anthony Driver and Luke Elliott ‘picked a fight’ with them, stabbing Mr Hepburn in the back. Mr Paton was also stabbed and injured as he tried to help his friend. The attack was described as frenzied and motiveless. The thugs continued to stab and kick Mr Hepburn as he laid bleeding on the ground.

Driver, of Grange Cottages, Marsden, was jailed for a minimum of 13 years after he was found guilty of manslaughter. His accomplice Luke Elliott, of Main Avenue, Cowlersley, was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of 22 years, after he was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and perverting the course of justice.Mr Hepburn’s mother, Carol, was told earlier this week that Anthony Driver had died in custody in Doncaster.

It is believed Driver was 48 years old and died in hospital while still in custody and awaiting the outcome of a compassionate release application. Mrs Hepburn said she wanted the people of Marsden and Huddersfield to know that Driver, a hardened criminal, no longer posed a risk to anyone.

She described Driver as a ‘horrible beast’ and ‘absolute scum’ who should not have been on the streets in 2012 or since. She said local people had been terrified of him. Mrs Hepburn said: ‘I want Marsden and the nearby villages to know he’s dead and they are safe. I am so glad he’s dead. I want it out there that this beast has died.’