Dean Ferguson (Jail 5 years , 4 months , 2 days left)

Dean Ferguson was convicted of the culpable homicide of 28-year-old Billy Joe Bates.

Billy Bates was attacked in Ashgill Road, Milton on 18 November 2018 and died four days later in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 22 November 2018.

The emergency services were called out to Ashfield Street at its junction with Kippen Street at about 2.30pm.

It was reported that Billy Bates had been violently attacked.

Dean Ferguson fled to Europe after the attack and was later extradited from the Netherlands in May 2022.

The police later released the image of a person they wanted to trace as well as several cars.

The person was captured on CCTV in the Londis Store in Crowhill Street a few minutes before Billy Bates was found. He bought milk and American cream soda and then walked off along Kippen Street.

He was described as:

• Aged 25 to 45.
• Around 5ft 10in tall.
• Medium build.
• Dark neatly trimmed beard, moustache and sideburns.
• Wearing a grey beanie, a black jacket, black jogging trousers and white trainers.

The police later said that they were looking for two other people who were seen in the area at the time:

1. Bare-chested man.
2. Man dressed in grey jogging trousers and a grey or black hooded top.

They said that they thought that the bare-chested man, who was seen in Kippen Street and Ashfield Street was later joined by the man in the grey jogging trousers.

The four cars that the police were trying to trace were:

1. White BMW 1 series.
2. Black BMW 3 series.
3. Gold coloured Nissan Qashqai.
4. Red Mazda.

However, the police said that they were not connecting the drivers of any of the cars with the murder but thought that they might have seen something.

A detective said, 'I believe that there are people in the local community who know who is responsible for this murder'.

At the trial, the prosecution said that the exact details of the killing could not be determined, noting that there was no history of animosity between the two.

They had spent the morning of 18 November 2018 together and later separated but later met up again at about 2.30pm. CCTV footage was found showing Dean Ferguson, Billy Bates and another man going to a flat in Maryhill during the morning, it being noted that Dean Ferguson appeared angry and agitated. THey were seen to later leave, but Billy Bates went back to get his phone and told a person there that he had fallen out with Dean Ferguson.

After that they all went to the flat in Milton and sometime after that Dean Ferguson sustained a head injury and Billy Bates sustained a number of injuries including a fatal deep stab wound to his chest.

Neighbours said they heard raised male voices and a shout of pain or cry for help. THe third man called 999 at 2.33pm and Billy Bates was  taken to the Royal Infirmary, but had been unable to state what had happened.

Dean Ferguson also went to the Royal Infirmary to have his injuries treated.

Billy Bates died there four days later on 22 November 2018. He had stab wounds to his chest and upper right arm and his right liver was was punctured and had caused internal bleeding.

Dean Ferguson was arrested at the time due to lack of evidence.

He was later found to have sent phone messages boasting about how he had left the country.

He was convicted on 29 November 2023.