‘Relief’ for Northampton family as one of their son’s murderers has his appeal to quash conviction rejected

A member of the gang responsible for the murder of a 23-year-old Northampton man in 2019 appealed to have his conviction quashed - but it has been rejected.

Reece Ottaway, 23, was stabbed to death by a murderous gang in a botched robbery for drugs and money at Cordwainer House in February 2019.

Alfie Drage, 21 - along with the three other killers - was convicted at Northampton Crown Court on October 30 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, to serve a minimum of 28 years in custody.

The offenders all went on to successfully challenge their sentences at the Court of Appeal in August 2020 and had their sentences reduced.

A fifth offender, who was jailed for 14 years for manslaughter, did not appeal his sentence.

Drage, however, recently appealed to have his conviction quashed on the grounds of his age at the time of the murder, fresh evidence and an allegation that police had ‘coerced’ a witness into attending court and ‘improperly obtained a statement from a witness'.

This appeal was rejected in a verdict hearing at the Court of Appeal yesterday morning (November 16).

Reece Ottaway’s mother, Charlotte Marshall, said: “As a family we are extremely relieved that Alfie Drage’s appeal of his conviction was rejected.

“We live with the daily struggle of having Reece taken from us in such a vicious way every single day of our lives and knowing the convicted have tried to appeal causes us further pain and torment.

“We hope now that this is the end of the matter and that Alfie Drage and his supporters can finally accept that he was in fact a contributing part of the vicious attack that ultimately ended Reece’s life and he deserves the conviction he was given.

“We, as a family, have the real life sentence of continuing to try to live the rest of our lives without our son, grandson, brother, nephew and uncle.”

Reece’s father, David Ottaway added: “I am glad the appeal was rejected, [Drage] got the sentence he deserved.”

The original court hearing heard that the gang of five young men broke into Reece Ottaway’s flat at Cordwainer House, St James, in the early hours of February 1 2019 and expected to walk away with drugs and £30,000.

Armed with a machete, large knives and a BB gun, the group kicked down Reece’s door as he slept and surrounded him.

What followed was a ‘berserk’ attack - as described by prosecutor Mr David Herbert QC - which saw Reece stabbed seven times.

The five men then left the flat with a £10 note and an iPhone.

Reece, sadly, died of his wounds in the living room despite the best efforts of paramedics to save him.