Life sentence for Hammersmith man who stabbed Afghan hero after pub fight

A fatal stabbing in a pub courtyard has led to three brothers being sentenced.

Thirty-nine-year-old Mark Barrs, from Fulham, was the victim – a veteran who fought in Afghanistan.

Having previously changed pleas to guilty eight days into their trials at the Old Bailey, the trio were sentenced yesterday.

Cleveland McEntee, 40, of Henchman Street, Hammersmith, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He will serve a minimum of 23 years.

His siblings were also jailed. Leon Woods, 42, of Cherry Close, Ealing, was jailed for seven years having pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Tron McEntee, 35, of Jubilee Road, Perivale, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He was sentenced to 12 months.

Giving an impact statement in court, Mr Barr’s grandmother, Christine Blinco, said: “Imagine our hero made it home from Afghanistan to lose his life on a London street – that is torment that I will take to my grave.”

She added: “I am completely heartbroken at the way in which our boy’s life has been taken so brutally and for no real reason.

“My grandson will forever be eternally loved by not just myself but our entire family.”

The victim’s brother, Nicky Barrs, told the court: “My family has lost something we can never ever replace; we have a full life sentence.”

Detective Chief Inspector Ollie Stride, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “This case once again highlights how carrying a knife can quickly escalate to murder.

“What started as an innocuous disagreement in a pub led to a man losing his life. It is shocking that a family has been left grieving due to this type of behaviour.

“All three brothers now have to face the consequences of their actions with lengthy prison sentences for their actions that day.”

Police were called at around 7:50pm on April 6 last year following a disturbance and a man stabbed on The Broadway in West Ealing.

Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and found Mr Barrs critically injured. Despite their efforts, Mark died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as a single stab wound to the chest.

Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command launched an investigation and established that Woods and Mark had been involved in a minor argument inside The Old Hat pub.

Woods called his two brothers and not long after, they arrived at the pub reigniting the dispute. The four men, and two of Mark’s friends, went outside and within a minute, Mark was fatally stabbed.

The three men then calmly walked away.

CCTV footage recovered from the scene captured Cleveland McEntee in possession of a knife.

The brothers were arrested on April 10 last year and charged the following day.

Pictured top: Victim Mark Barrs (Picture: The Met)