Mother is jailed over false alibi

Bennett, Garland, McNamara and Liddy were convicted of murder

A mother who lied to protect her son who, along with three other teenagers, kicked a man to death in Bedfordshire has been jailed for 21 months.

Sandra Liddy, 40, of Brickley Road, Luton, told police her son Shane was with her during the attack on Stephen Green in an underpass last May.

The four teenagers were all jailed for life last week.

Sandra Liddy was jailed at Luton Crown Court after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Stephen Green, 55, from Luton, was attacked in an underpass as he cycled home, and died in hospital nine days later.

'Serious offence'

Darryll Bennett, 18, Richard McNamara, 19, Nicholas Garland, 18, and Shane Liddy, 19, were given minimum sentences of between 12 and 19 years.

Liddy's girlfriend and the mother of his child Allison Procter, 20, of Brickley Road, and a 16-year-old Luton girl also appeared for sentencing after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Prosecutor Natalie Carter told the court that Liddy was released on bail as a result of the alibis and was re-arrested when his fingerprint was found on Mr Green's bike.

A letter by Sandra Liddy to the judge said: "My first reaction as a mother was to defend my only son."

Judge John Bevan said: "This was an extremely serious offence of perverting the course of justice. For a short time it succeeded.

"You persuaded a 20-year-old and a 16-year-old to give alibis for a case you knew to be murder. You sent the police down a false route."

He passed a 12-month referral order on the 16-year-old girl and ordered her to pay £250 prosecution costs.

Procter was given an eight-month sentence of youth custody suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work.