“I’m completely heartbroken,” Michelle Wilson said after losing her husband due to a group of teenagers who battered him to death using a cricket bat.
42-year-old Derek Whyteside, Michelle’s husband, went outside to look for his children’s bikes after they were stolen.
Only around a mile away from their home, he found a group of teenagers who stole the bikes. They attacked him, beaten him unconscious with a cricket bat, and left him on the street to die.
Derek was found around five hours later as his wife posted footage of the theft online to gain attention. While he was taken to the hospital and put in an induced coma, the father of four died two days later.
In the video that Michelle shared, two teenagers are seen stealing the bikes from in front of their house. One of them, a 16-year-old, was caught and charged with murder. Other associates were released on police bail. “Two boys have just stolen two bikes from outside my house. A black and grey Carrera boys mountain bike and a pink and black girls mountain bike,” she wrote.
“Derek was a loving and vibrant person, everyone knew and loved him,” one relative expressed. “He was a cheeky chappy, and he wasn’t perfect, but no one is.”
Apparently, the bikes were chained outside their house, and the thieves were caught on camera as they stole them. Derek went out to confront them but didn’t expect they would react so aggressively. “From what we have been told he was hit on the head from behind and didn’t see it coming. He didn’t have a chance,” the relative said.
After being faced with the death of her husband, Michelle said she was “completely heartbroken.” She couldn’t believe that someone could do something so terrible. “I just can’t talk about it. I only lost him the other day,” she said.
In the statement that Derek’s family provided, they wrote:
“Derek was loveable and could always see the best in people and if he considered you a friend he would strive never to let you down. He would always be there for you and was very proud of his extended family. He was a fab dad to his partner’s children, very protective, cheeky and loving and always meant well. He was Michelle’s world and was so good to her. He was a great brother too.”
“It’s absolutely horrifying to think he was killed over something like this. No one deserves to be left to die in the street. Michelle and the kids are in absolute bits. It’s an absolute nightmare and everyone round here is appalled and very angry about what has happened.”
A neighbor of the family added that the local gangs “believe that they are above the law.”
“There is very little parental discipline and the police are already run ragged. It’s getting worse and I know of people, particularly old folk, who are simply too scared to walk out their doors,” he added.
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