Jealous boyfriend left his partner to die in pool of blood after finding Grindr messages

Adam Ray was convicted of murdering his boyfriend Jason Brockbanks and jailed for life with a minimum of 22 years after he stabbed him repeatedly in a jealous rage.

Adam Ray, in a fit of jealousy, fatally stabbed his boyfriend and then chillingly walked away with music in his ears as his partner bled to death.

The victim, student Jason Brockbanks, might have survived the attack at his university accommodation if Ray had sought help. Instead, the murderer attempted to conceal his actions, searching online for ways to claim schizophrenia in defence. Ray, who was incensed after discovering messages from other men on Jason's phone, was found guilty of the murder of 24 year old Jason and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.

Two years after the brutal act, we examine how Ray, previously prosecuted for stabbing a pet bird, escalated from animal cruelty to becoming a ruthless killer. Jason, originally from Whitehaven, Cumbria, had a promising future when he relocated to Newcastle to attend Northumbria University.

His friends remembered him as a "quiet" and "harmless" individual who always looked for the good in others. In stark contrast, Ray was known as a jealous and angry man, with a history of verbal abuse towards past partners and a court appearance for injuring his family's pet bird.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Jason and Ray, who were in a relationship at the time, had enjoyed a night out on Newcastle's gay scene before the September 2022 attack. They later returned to Jason's flat at Mansion Tyne, on Howard Street, on the city outskirts, reports Chronicle Live.

After Jason fell asleep, Ray took his phone into the bathroom and filmed himself scrolling through messages between Jason and other men on Grindr, the court was told. Moments later, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and slashed Jason's back before stabbing him in the side.

The court heard that Ray then gathered his belongings, put his headphones around his neck, cleaned Jason's blood off the knife and returned it to the communal kitchen before leaving the flats. CCTV captured him with his headphones on, listening to music as he walked away.

Jason fell onto the floor after being stabbed and the duvet fell onto his phone, preventing him from calling for help. He eventually collapsed in his shower cubicle where he bled to death.

Jason's body was not discovered for three days. After the murder, Ray, of Mayfield Road, Sunderland, searched Google for "can schizophrenics be murderers".

In sentencing Ray, Mr Justice Martin Spencer said: "You are deceitful, dishonest and when drunk, highly dangerous. Any regret you have expressed for Jason's death has been false and motivated only by your self-interest. There has been no shadow of remorse."

Jason's devastated father, Christopher, courageously took to the witness stand to express the profound impact his son's death has had on their family. Mr Brockbanks stated: "For 24 years we had the privilege of being Jason's parents. He was a loving and gentle soul who shied away from confrontation and hated violence. He was a talented young man who had so many dreams to realise. We will miss his laughter, infectious smile and his love.

"There is a void in our lives that can never be filled and the pain we feel will never leave us. Our lives will never be the same and not a day goes by when we don't feel Jason's loss. We have had so many difficult and tearful days and we know there are so many more to come.

"We miss Jason so very much. We are devastated and heartbroken that Jason was cruelly and senselessly taken from us. We will never be able to accept the manner of his death or be able to forgive the defendant, who has not shown an ounce of remorse through this trial."

"Instead our family had to relive every moment of Jason's brutal murder and listen to the defendant's lies. We know he died slowly and this will haunt us for the rest of our lives. And to hear his death was possibly avoidable if assistance had been sought is truly heartbreaking for us."

"We believe Jason spent his last moments looking for his mobile phone to call for help but he was unable to find it due to the defendant having been the last person to use it."

"We will never comprehend how a human being could walk away from Jason lying injured in his room in such a cruel and callous manner. We will never forgive or forget the manner of Jason's death."

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Jason's childhood friend, Tyler Burns, expressed his conviction that Jason would have been defenceless against his killer, stating: "The lad was harmless. The only thing I can think of is I bet he was so scared. He must have been absolutely petrified at that moment. It's hard to think about. He wouldn't have tried to fight back. "It shouldn't have happened to him. He was such a lovely person.

"Jason was totally innocent. He really didn't deserve it. He definitely didn't have to die. Ray knew what had happened but just thought 'I'm going to cover my own tracks."

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