Wounding charge after pub dispute

Lawrence Steel's family paid tribute to a kind, well-liked man

A man who was arrested over the murder of a father on Tyneside has been charged with wounding the victim's son.

Tony Hedley, from Newcastle, was detained after Lawrence Steel died trying to help his son Craig, who was injured after a dispute in a pub.

Mr Steel, 44, and Craig, 23, had defused a row at the Wrekendyke pub.

Lawrence was repeatedly stabbed as he went back to the pub on Friday. Mr Hedley, 22, of Charlotte Close, is due before Gateshead magistrates on Monday.

On Sunday Northumbria Police confirmed Mr Hedley had been charged with a section 18 wounding offence on Craig.

Earlier Mr Steel's family released a statement, describing Lawrence as "an extremely kind, well-liked and hard-working man".

"He was a man with a good sense of humour and was a loving father with a son and a teenage daughter as well as a long-term partner who was his childhood sweetheart," they said.

"We have been left in total agony by this incident."