'He went out fishing and never came home' - Wife of heroic Sheffield dad speaks of grief as killer is jailed

David Ford was about to head out on his regular fishing trip with his son, Ryan, after the pair met up on St John's Road, near Sheffield Parkway, just before 6am on September 3, 2022, when they encountered Jermaine Richards as he attempted to flee the scene after causing £2,400 worth of damage to the security desk at Castle Hill Flats in the Hyde Park area of Sheffield before damaging a BMW in the car park of the complex.

Richards, aged 31, Wordsworth Drive, Parson Cross, Sheffield, subsequently subjected Ryan Ford to a ‘deliberate’ and violent beating, leaving him with a serious head injury, before stealing David Ford's Kia vehicle and initially driving off in it.

Richards returned in the stolen vehicle a short time later, and after pausing briefly, ran David Ford over with his own car, causing catastrophic, and ultimately fatal, injuries.

As he jailed Richards for life, to serve a minimum of 26 years for David Ford’s murder, The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: “I am satisfied that David and Ryan Ford wanted to make some attempt to prevent him from either getting away or damaging other cars.”

In a statement from David's wife of 42 years, she laid bare the family’s devastating grief and described how she continues to struggle to accept his sudden, and tragic, death.

“Dave’s shoes are still on my doormat at home and his coat is hung up by the front door. I cannot move them because if I did so I would have to accept that he is gone. I cannot do this.

“If he was ill and died I could accept this, but the fact he went out fishing one day and never came home has caused such a shock to me that I cannot accept it.

“The hard thing is that Dave did not die because of natural causes, he died because of the decisions made by Jermaine Richards.

“I will never forget sitting in the family room in the Accident & Emergency ward of the Northern General Hospital and being told that Dave had died and Ryan was injured. In the proceeding days I had to go to the mortuary and identify Dave’s body.”

“I met Dave when I was 16 years old and we were married for 42 years. We have four children together, one of whom is Ryan. We also have a grandson. We used to do everything together - Dave was me and I was Dave. It was hard to see where one of us started and the other one ended. We have always been a team who have supported each other through life’s journey. I no longer have this support.

“Dave doted on his family and was with his children every day, even as they made their way into adulthood. Some of them still lived with us and he would always be on-hand to assist them by giving them lifts to and from work. The love of their dad has been taken from them.

“He was also close to his grandson, who feels his loss deeply.

“Ryan, as with the other children, was very close to his dad. This is shown by the fact they were both going fishing together on the day he died.

“Dave loved me and his family very much and we all loved him back. I will go to bed tonight and as I do every night I shall sleep on my side of our bed. David’s side will remain unslept in.”

Richards was convicted of David Ford’s murder, and of an additional charge of wounding with intent relating to the injuries inflicted upon Ryan Ford, at the conclusion of a trial at Sheffield Crown Court in March 2023. Richards also admitted to further charges of criminal damage prior to the commencement of the trial.

He refused to attend the first sentencing hearing on Thursday, April 20, and Judge Richardson gave him another opportunity to face Mr Ford’s family in court during the adjourned hearing today (Monday, April 24) but he still refused to leave his cell and was sentenced in his absence.

Judge Richardson said: “I regard the refusal of the defendant to attend court as an act of cowardice. His arrogance is also demonstrated by this conduct.”

Richards' cowardly behaviour was in ‘marked contrast' to the 'dignity’ of Mr Ford's family, said Judge Richardson, who ‘conducted themselves with propriety throughout the proceedings’.

Speaking after Richards was jailed, Temporary DCI Andrew Knowles, who lead the investigation, said: “We know that seeing Richards sentenced will never undo the pain and heartache the Ford family will still be feeling. But we hope seeing him go to prison will help them start to move forward from this horrendous incident.”