Police and widow of Wakefield man stabbed to death pay tribute saying he 'was just helping a friend'

Mr Steel, 41, was stabbed during a brawl outside a flat on Parkfield View in Ossett on the evening of September 2 last. A man was convicted of murder and jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court today, while another was jailed for manslaughter. A woman was also jailed for her part in the events that led to the fatal confrontation.

Mr Steel’s widow, Rachel Knight, spoke after the sentencing hearing and said: “There are no words to describe the impact losing Tony has had on us all as a family. Tony was a hard-working family man, who enjoyed life; and on the night of his tragic death, he was doing what he always did, being there for people he loved and cared about. Unfortunately, this cost him his life. Tony was loved by so many people, and this will continue in his absence.

“We as a family would like this to be a warning to everyone in the hope that no other families suffer in the way we have.”

The fatality stemmed from an incident earlier in the evening when 51-year-old Lorraine Hargreaves claimed a man attacked her at Haggs Hill Farm at Ossett when she tried to sell him some salmon.

Hargreaves returned 10 minutes later with Christopher Donaldson and Anthony Sladek. All three assaulted the man and Hargreaves stole the victim’s bank card.

The victim later went to Hargreave’s home on Parkfield View with two friends, one of which was Tony Steel. The confrontation took place on the doorstep of the property before the trio ran from the scene after realising that Tony had been stabbed. Donaldson and Sladek briefly chased after them, with Donaldson dropping a knife nearby.

Tony suffered stab wounds to his neck, upper chest and back. Police were called at 8.38pm on Friday, 2 September, 2022, by Yorkshire Ambulance Service to a report that a man had been stabbed. Mr Steel was found near Haggs Hill Farm, Ossett, and was pronounced dead a short time later.

All three defendants denied a series of offences but were found guilty after a trial. Donaldson received a minimum 24-year jail term for murder, Sladek was given 11-and-a-half years for manslaughter, while Hargreaves got three years’ jail for the earlier attack and stealing the man’s bank card.

Detective Chief Inspector Lee Townley, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said afterwards: “Ultimately, Tony Steel has lost his life trying to help a friend. The willingness of these defendants to resort to violence to get their message across shows they are dangerous individuals who deserve to be behind bars.

“This has been a complex investigation as detectives have worked to understand the events that led up to Tony’s untimely death, including the earlier assaults on one of his friends.

“We hope that the swift justice in this case gives Tony’s friends and family some small comfort as they continue to process their loss.”