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Levi Webb admits killing Peter Beale near Rochester Bridge

A drug dealer's runner has admitted killing an addict near Rochester Bridge.

Levi Webb, 23, was earlier this year cleared of the murder of Peter Beale, 39, from Sittingbourne.

Levi Webb has admitted manslaughter
Levi Webb has admitted manslaughter
Billy Dole has admitted murder
Billy Dole has admitted murder

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court could not agree a verdict of manslaughter after 13-and-half hours of deliberations, and a retrial was ordered.

Labourer Webb, of Scholars Rise, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Beale this morning at the same court.

Mr Beale's body was discovered near the bridge in September last year.

Another man, Webb's boss 29-year-old Billy Dole, pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Beale in March this year.

Dole, of Chorister Close, Hoo, has been in custody since admitting his part in the revenge stabbing.

The two men will now be sentenced in January after the probation service was asked to provide a report on what dangers Webb may pose in the future.

Another woman, Rachel Woods, was last week found guilty of helping her partner, Dole, flee the country.

Peter Beale was found dead near Rochester Bridge
Peter Beale was found dead near Rochester Bridge

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A heavy police attendance followed the discovery of a body near Rochester Bridge
A heavy police attendance followed the discovery of a body near Rochester Bridge

Woods is now facing prison after helping him flee Kent to Turkey after Mr Beale was stabbed to death.

The attack on Mr Beale came about after he robbed Webb of drugs and cash.

Webb then informed Dole about the incident and the pair went in search of crack cocaine addict Mr Beale.

After the killing, Dole fled to Northern Cyprus as police hunted him - and he eventually returned to the UK.

Oliver Saxby QC, for Webb, told Judge Philip Statman that the youngster had gone along with Dole expecting his boss "to give Mr Beale a slapping and to cause him some hurt."

At his trial,Webb said after the incident he was sitting in his boss' Mercedes when Dole admitted he thought he had killed him.

He told the jury: “On the journey back I said to Dole: ‘You knocked him out cold’. He said: 'I think I killed him'.

“I just thought he was paranoid. I didn't think he would stab him in the way he did.”

The following day he was back out on the streets selling drugs when he was told a body had been found near Rochester Bridge.

He said: “I told my girlfriend and we checked on KentOnline and then I knew.”

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