As another year passes by with no answers for the family of Corby nightclub boss brutally murdered in 2012, a new lead has emerged which could finally help police catch the killer.
It’s 12 years tomorrow since Les Ross died on the floor of a hotel room after a savage beating at the hands of an unknown criminal.
Now detectives have been passed new information after a local man boasted repeatedly in public about ‘killing a bouncer’, and threatening to to it again.
The horrific murder of much-loved doorman David ‘Les’ Ross shocked Corby, and despite several arrests in the aftermath of the killing, a wall of silence has meant that investigators have never been able to charge anyone.
And as another year rolls by, and another Christmas without him looms, Les’s family and friends say they are still desperate for answers about the identity of the people who were responsible for cutting his life short.
Les was just 39 when he was killed at a budget hotel in The Jamb, Corby.
His death came after he had been threatened by a local crime boss who wanted a piece of his new nightclub, Rubix, in George Street that he had taken on alongside his doorman and taxi driver work.
Les had refused to let him get a foot in the door, and after going into hiding following a burglary at his Chelveston Drive home, he was beaten to death.
Two years ago, on the tenth anniversary of his killing, this newspaper published an investigation into what happened to him, and identified an un-named drug dealer who had taken everything he knew about Les to his grave.
Now, as alliances in Corby’s shapeshifting underworld change, another person who could be a key witness has emerged from the shadows.
This newspaper has spoken to local people who have named another character whose life has taken a recent downturn after a change in his circumstances.
In recent months he has been heard shouting on more than one occasion that he once killed a bouncer, and threatening to do it again, in public.
The man, who is in his late 30s, has been before local courts on numerous occasions and during a recent arrest, a large number of police officers were called to the scene, armed with tasers, after he spat violent threats during a late night incident.
Crucially, he could also fit a loose description released by detectives two years after Les’s death of a man with gingery-brown hair who was seen standing in the doorway of the Village Inn Express, now the Snooze Hotel, an hour before Les was killed. Police at the time said he could be a vital witness to help them piece together what happened to Les.
Although this newspaper knows the identity of the man who has been making the alarming confessions, we cannot reveal his name for legal reasons.
But we have seen historic newspaper reports that detail a horrifying attack he carried out nearly 20 years ago on one of his friends after a minor row.
During that brutal assault, committed when he was just a young man, he repeatedly and viciously kicked the man in Corby.
After downing 20 pints, he punched the man’s head again and again, before repeatedly stamping and punching his head while he was on the ground. After the victim managed to get up, the man then launched a flying kick before he was pulled away. He then rugby-kicked the man in the head, knocking him unconscious.
Sentencing the man, Judge Charles Harris KC said: “I’m told he did this all to a friend, what might he do to someone who he sees as an enemy?
“This was an assault of astonishing ferocity, a burst of what can only be described as crazed and sustained savagery. Why you did that to a friend of yours is beyond imagination.”
Since that attack the man has been before the courts for more crimes including domestic abuse.
Police have been made aware of all the information included in our story including the name of the man who could have information that would help their inquiry.
Detectives were understandably tight-lipped about whether they had ever questioned of arrested the man whose name we put to them.
In the years since the death of his best friend and mentor, Andrew Lucas has struggled to come to terms with what happened to Les.
Like Les, whose real name was David, he now drives a taxi for Star Cars and runs a business providing security on the doors around Corby’s pubs and clubs.
He said that he hears rumours about what happened while he is working.
“There are obviously people who know what happened,” he said.
“It seems like it’s now being spoken about in the public domain. A lot has happened in the 12 years since Les died and maybe people are not happy to protect others anymore.
“Les has got two brothers and a mum who are still sitting there wanting to know what happened to him. People out there do know and are talking about it openly.”
Les’s mum is now in her late 70s and Andrew is desperate for her to get answers before she becomes much older.
“We know that this man is now identifying himself. Even if you have information that you think the police might already know, it’s really important that you just pass on that information.
“We don’t know that people aren’t coming forward because they think that what they know is nothing new. It might be. It might take just that one piece of information to help bring some peace to Les’s family.
“There’s still a significant Crimestoppers award which might just persuade someone to come forward.”
Andrew always struggles at this time of year. He said: “Now I’m running the foundations of Les’s company and it should be a happy time of year.
“But it’s such a sad time of year for me.
“I drive home after work and think about how I’m not going to see Les again. As much as I’m happy to be running his company, I don’t want it. I want him to be here running it.”
Ahead of the twelfth anniversary of Les’s death tomorrow (Tuesday, December 17) police have said that they are keen to hear details of how the person who killed him was able to get into his hotel room without detection.
Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell said: “David ‘Les’ Ross was a hardworking, popular man who had only just achieved one of his lifelong ambitions to open his own nightclub when he was murdered.
“Although his murder happened twelve years ago, his family continue to grieve for him as if his death was only yesterday and they will be unable to ever fully move forward without knowing who was responsible for his death. A number of arrests have been made in connection with David’s death over the years but no-one has ever been charged.
“I am asking anyone out there who may have information which could bring David’s killer to justice to please contact us. His family have been in limbo for over a decade and we want to provide them with some much-needed answers and justice for their loved-one.
“We’re not only looking for information regarding who killed David in that hotel room, but also how they were able to gain entry, how they travelled to and from the scene, how his killers may have known he was there, and who was responsible for the burglary at his house two days before he was killed.
“There could have been a lot of reasons why people felt they could not speak to us before now but twelve years is a long time, and we know that allegiances and loyalties can change.
“I am certain that someone out there knows what happened to David and I am asking them to please come forward and speak to us. If that person is you, please call us on 101, send your report into us online here or if you would prefer to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
“We don’t need to know who you are, just what you know. Please think of David’s family this Christmas and help us secure justice for him.”
There is still a £10,000 Crimestoppers reward on offer for information that could lead to the conviction of those involved in Les’s death.
Source – Northampton Herald