These are the faces of Alison McBlain's killers

Joshua Titterington, Kaylib Connolly, Dean Qayum, and Karis Poynton all received life sentences for killing the 37-year-old mum of one on November 19 2019.

During the sentencing at Preston Crown Court, Timothy Cray, prosecuting, outlined each of the defendant's previous convictions, with only Connolly, now 19, being of previous good character.

Mr Cray said: "Jon-Paul Chatwood has 15 previous convictions for 30 different offences, including assault and racially aggrevated offences.

"Titterington is of bad character and has been convicted of a burglary of a Texaco garage in June 2018 where mobile phones and cash were stolen.

"He also admitted criminal damage in July 2019 at a One Stop Shop where he destroyed property to the value of £6,600."

Alison McBlain killers jailed for total of 78 years

Mr Cray told the court Connolly was of previous good character, but Qayum has two convictions for serious violence, one as a juvenile for affray, common assault and possession of a knife and one of false imprisonment and actual bodily harm.

Qayum was also trading as a class A drug dealer and was wanted on recall to prison at the time of the incident.

At the beginning of the trial Qayum also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, after admitting to bribing Rivers with money, in attempts to persuade him to change his evidence. 

Karis Poynton has six convictions for 13 ‘minor offences’ mainly dishonesty and criminal damage.

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Qayum, of Patterdale Avenue, Blackburn, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years.

Dean Qayum

Titterington, of Scotland Bank Terrace, Blackburn, who had already served 435 days in custody, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 17 and a half years.

Anesta Weekes said her client has had the disadvantage of some form of mental illness, from the time he grew up as a juvenile until now.

She said: "He is still relatively young, at 27, and he has always said 'if I have done something wrong I will admit to it'

"It is relevant that his role was exceptionally short and I am just not clear what it was.

"He was present in the car, he didn't get out of the car, there was no action from him when the murder occured, before or during.

"The role attributed to him was that he was to act as a 'heavy' but we don't see any evidence of that.

"The shortness of his time in that car is something we invite m'Lord to take into account.

"Whatever happened in that car, it was a split crash decision, and the jury decided he was a party of that rash, split-second decision having been in that car for a short period of time.

"We are aware of the fact he doesn't have any class A drugs offences in his background." 

Joshua Titterington

Connolly, of Ivy Street, Blackburn, was handed life in prison with a minimum of 14 years.

His defence barrister, Paul Bogan, said his mitigation would be necessarily brief and in relation to the intention to hurt someone on the night of November 19, said the ‘intention was relative to one person’ and that ‘it seems clear to everyone that unusually and rather exceptionally this is a case of transferred malice’.

Mr Bogan said: "Firstly there is his age - 18 at the date of the offences.

"Secondly, his lack of previous convictions, although he had, as he acknolwedged, engaged in criminal activity some weeks prior to these offences, and nothing more."

Kaylib Connolly

Poynton, of Whalley Road, Blackburn, received a life sentence with a minimum of 13 years.

Peter Wright QC said his client had already served 392 days in jail, because she was arrested in January 2020 and remanded on January 28 2020 and has been in custody since then.

Mr Wright said: "We submit the same point as Mr Bogan - that the animosity expressed in the message from Qayum to Poynton was in respect of Mr Rivers and not in the respect of Alison McBlain.

"In terms of her intention as to the nature and assistance she gave, it was directed at Rivers.

"With no relevant convictions, serving her first custodial sentence - in the grip of a malicious and all encompassing addiction to hard drugs, her intention was eclipsed by her overwhelming need for drugs, it was a decision taken in an instance which sadly led to the death of Alison McBlain.

"The consequences of her actions weigh heavily on her."

Karis Poynton

Jon-Paul Chatwood, of Walsh Street, Blackburn, received a determinate sentence of 14 years for manslaughter. 

Mitigating in his defence, Mark Ford QC said his client's parents separated when he was two-years-old and he had no contact with his father until his teenage years. 

The introduction of step-father was not healthy as both he and his mother were addicted to substances, his mother alcohol and his step-father drugs.

This resulted in a disjointed adolescence where he moved between his grandmother's house and his mother's.

When he was six-years-old his mother was sent to prison for the supply of class A drugs.

Mr Ford said: "He was referred to mental health professionals in his teens, but the appointments would not always be kept due to his chaotic life.

"When his mother left prison, she found she could not care for him.

"He has worked, as a labourer and scaffolder and has also worked nights.

"An injury put an end to this work and during a period of unemployment he became aware of a few local people selling drugs and became involved himself.

"He said himself that 'he has had his chances'. 

"He wants to make it plain that as a consequence of these incidents, he has resolved to change."

Jon-Paul Chatwood

In sentencing the five, Judge Openshaw said: "The attack on Christian Rivers was pre-meditated.

"In respect of Dean Qayum, he is now 21, he has two convictions for serious violence, one as a juvenile for affray, common assault and possession of a knife.

"In 2017 he was convicted of false imprisonment and actual bodily harm.

"Furthermore, he was of course trading as a class A drug dealer and was wanted on recall to prison at the time.

"At the beginning of the trial he pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, after admitting to bribing Rivers with money, in attempts to persuade him to change his evidence. 

"For count one he faces a minimum term of 20 years less the time he has already served.

"For count two there is a starting point of 10 years, served concurrently with a life sentence.

"I turn now to Titterington. He is aged 27. He has convictions for violence but not as serious as Qayum's.

"Connolly and Qayum were convicted on count two, but Titterington was acquitted on that count.

"I fix the minimum term of 17 and a half years and for GBH with intent, a starting point of six years, to run concurrently with the 17 and a half years.

"I turn then to Connolly, he was only just 18. Had he been younger the starting point would have been 12 years.

"I think he was naive, and was manipulated by the others.

"I have read a letter from his mother, and it is a pity that he didn't take her advice, he was a foolish man who was under the influence of others.

"And of course he must now pay the price. He originally denied that he was driving the car and said he 'would rather be quiet than a grass' as he thought he would have to deal with the others in prison if he gave evidence against them.

"I fix the minimum term at 14 years for murder.

"On count two I give a starting point of seven years, served concurrently with the life sentence.

"I turn then to Karis Poynton who is 28, she has never previously served a custodial sentence.

"Although she didn't give evidence at trial, Mr Wright spoke for her.

"She was gripped by drugs, and because she was unemployed, to fund her habit she could only afford drugs by working on the street as a street worker.

"She caused additional distress to Alison's family which they now regard as an act of betrayal.

"In my judgement I fix the minimum term at 13 years and for count three, I give a starting point of five years concurrently.

"I come now to Jon-Paul Chatwood, who was convicted of manslaughter.

"I accept that he could not have known the Punto would be used as a weapon but the guidelines relating to unlawful manslaughter apply. 

"There is a starting point of 12 years, but he is aged now 26, and has a number of previous convictions, for violence, although he has no more recent convictions since 2014.

"These do serve as an additional aggrevating feature and I fix the minimum term of 14 years."

The combined total number of years that the defendants will serve is 78 and a half years.