The boy who starred in a famous milk advert and asked “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” has been jailed for murder.
Kevin Spaine has been caged for a minimum term of 18 years for the killing of Learoy Venner who was repeatedly punched and kicked in an attack in Liverpool.
The 43-year-old appeared in Liverpool Crown Court to face sentencing for his part in the Belmont Drive in Anfield killing, where he was put away for life.
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He appeared in the 1989 Milk Marketing Board advert and was a “very promising young footballer” John Harrison KC said on his behalf.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The Liverpool Echo reports that the defendant can be heard in the famous ad asking “have you got any lemonade?”
Then, pouring himself a glass of milk the second boy says: “If you like”.
Spaine then says: “Milk? Eugh.”
He is then told: “It’s what Ian Rush drinks. He said if I don’t drink lots of milk, when I grow up I’ll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.”
“Accrington Stanley, who are they?” Spaine asks.
“Exactly,” the second boy says.
Until now, his part in the ad had been wrongly credited to “Kevin Staine”.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
But things went wrong for Spaine. He appeared in front of the courts some 40 times and diced with crime and drugs.
His 40 appearances featured almost 100 offences including dealing heroin and crack.
Defending, Harrison said: “This defendant’s life has been ruined and dominated by the abuse of illegal drugs. He has a very long history of criminal offending.
“We know he’s been in this situation for 20 years or more, but he wasn’t always like that. Mr Spaine was a very promising young footballer, and he appeared in a very famous advertisement on the television – an advert for milk involving Accrington Stanley.
“He played a part in that advertisement. At an age of 10 or 12, or however old he was, he had a promising future.
(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
“Shortly afterwards, he sinks into a life of criminality. Twenty years later, he is convicted of murder.
“It’s not an unfamiliar spiral to the court, but it is a tragic one. Of course, he respects the jury’s verdict.”
Sentencing this morning, Judge Brian Cummings KC said: “Only you will know the detail of what happened in the flat at that time. You have shown yourself to be a shocking liar.
“I am sure there was no element of self-defence in anything you did to Leroy Venner. What possible threat could he have presented to you?
“I am sure you struck him multiple heavy punches to the face and then finished your attack by kicking him, probably more than once and with force. What precisely caused you to want to do all of this will never be known to anyone other than yourself.
“You were very insistent of wanting to get into the flat. I am sure your interest in gaining entry to the flat was because you hoped to get either drugs or money – probably, you were disappointed in that hope.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“I do not find this was a murder for gain. However I am sure when you gained access to the flat, having been kept hanging around, those things led you to launch a ferocious attack upon him.”
He added: “He had no chance of escaping you or fighting you off. You attacked and killed a man whom you knew to be weak and in poor health.
“I accept that the eruption of violence occurred spontaneously, albeit you were in an agitated state having regard to the fact you’d been kept waiting outside. You left him unconscious on his back and breathing in his own blood for something like half an hour before he actually died.”
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