A mother and her two children have been jailed for life after they stabbed a relative to death in a revenge attack on his doorstep.
Joanne Maxwell, 44, her son Liam Donlin, 25, and daughter Amie Clegg, 22, ‘worked as a team’ to plot the murder of Paul Scott, 37.
The trio lured their distant relative out of his home in Blackburn amid ‘beef’ between him and Maxwell, before stabbing him in the heart.
The attack was filmed on mobile phone so it could be posted on social media as a warning, Preston Crown Court heard.
Mr Scott’s family described him as ‘the kindest soul’ whose life had been cruelly taken away by ‘these monsters’.
In the early hours of June 21 last year, the trio left their home armed with knives and drove to Mr Scott’s flat.
Clegg, who was friendly with Mr Scott, lured him to the front door and filmed the approach on her brother’s phone.
As Mr Scott approached, she said: ‘Don’t actually stab him.’
Amie Clegg (pictured) teamed up with her mother and brother to murder a distant relative
Joanne Maxwell, 44, (pictured) was said to have beef with Paul Scott
Pictured: Liam Donlin who plunged a 20cm knife into his victim’s chest
But as the victim answered the door, bare chested, Donlin plunged a 20cm kitchen knife into his heart.
Maxwell ‘masterminded’ the plan, after a perceived sleight resulting from a brawl at a family gathering to mark Amie’s 21st birthday, the previous year.
During the row, Maxwell and her partner had fought with another man, who was at the party with Mr Scott.
In the months that followed, Maxwell made a number of threats towards the two men, with Mr Scott telling his niece he believed the threats against him would be carried out.
‘They’re going to get me,’ he said. ‘You wait – they’re going to get me.’
As Paul lay bleeding to death on his kitchen floor, Clegg made a 999 call, giving a false name and claiming they had visited the flat and found Mr Scott, already injured.
Two knives – matching those missing from a set at the family home – were found in the kitchen sink. A third knife was found on the back seat of Maxwell’s car.
In January, Maxwell, Donlin and Clegg sat side by side in the dock at Preston Crown Court to face the charge of murder.
All three denied the allegation but only Donlin took to the witness box to give evidence.
He claimed he had only intended to threaten Mr scott when he went armed with a knife.
Maxwell and Clegg gave no comment when interviewed by police and did not give evidence at their trial.
Mr Scott’s family described him as ‘the kindest soul’ whose life had been cruelly taken away by ‘these monsters’
Maxwell, (left), Donlin (right) and Clegg (centre) were sentenced to life and must serve minimum terms of 23 years, 26 years and 20 years respectively
But after just three hours of deliberations the jury found all three guilty of murder and the two women guilty of possession of a bladed article – a charge Donlin had admitted earlier.
Today, Mr Justice Bryan said: ‘The death of Paul Scott is a needless tragedy over a very trivial sleight.
‘The lifelong impact on all Paul’s family is vividly shown in the moving victim impact statements read in court.
‘It is clear Paul was a kind, compassionate man with his whole life ahead of him. As a result of your truly cruel and evil actions he will never have the opportunity of having a wife or children or growing old in the company of those who loved him.
‘It has left a lifelong hole in so many family members.’
He said the murder was a joint enterprise stabbing, with all three knowing there was to be an attack with knives.
Maxwell, Donlin and Clegg were sentenced to life and must serve minimum terms of 23 years, 26 years and 20 years respectively
