The sister of a man fatally beaten with a golf club said she won’t be able to grieve until his killer is convicted.
Terence “Terry” Dunn was subjected to a horrific street attack on the afternoon of June 18 2019 by a thug wielding a golf club. The 49-year-old spent 12 weeks in Aintree University Hospital recovering from his catastrophic injuries but died in September of the same year due to medical complications.
His younger sister Sarah, 46, told the ECHO five years on from her brother’s murder, she asks herself “why” every day. She added: “I have not been able to grieve. I won’t be able to until I get the call and hear someone has been charged with our Terry’s murder. I can’t allow myself to grieve – I don’t think I could.”
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In a wide-ranging interview with the ECHO earlier this week, Sarah spoke about her relationship with her brother, from growing up together as the “naughty” ones in the family, to him becoming a father figure to her after they lost both their parents when they were young. You can read the interview in full here.
Sarah said five years ago this week she received a knock on the door. She told the ECHO: “I ran out the house and Terry was lying there in the road. The sight will haunt me forever. I had to perform first aid on my own brother while we waited 45 minutes for an ambulance. He was taken to hospital where he had to be resuscitated – it was absolutely horrendous.
“He was my only close family member left – we lost our mum and dad quite young – and he was losing his life in front of me. I lived in hospital with him for the next few weeks before he moved out and came and lived with me. But he went back into hospital on September 22 and 48 hours later he was dead. That was when it all came crashing down and we realised he was now a murder victim.”
Terry, a keen fisherman who often spent his days down at Larkhill Park, known in the area as the Ducky, left his flat at around 3.30pm on the day of the attack to make one of his regular trips to withdraw money from the Credit Union. Around 10 minutes later he reached Kilrea Close, but he was being followed.
A witness nearby saw Terry being chased into an alleyway, where he was then subjected to a vicious attack by the thug. The suspect was challenged by a member of the public and then ran down a cut-through in the direction of the loop line. The suspect is described as a white, 5ft 7in, in his 20s and wearing dark clothing with a hood up.
He suffered significant injuries and was in hospital for weeks for treatment before going and living with his sister. However, in September that year the strain on his body became too much and he suffered a fatal heart attack. The post-mortem examination linked it to his injuries from the attack.
Police believe the attack on Terry was targeted, but have been unable to find definitive reasons as to why. Four people have been arrested in connection with Terry’s death, with Sarah confirming a number of people have given her the name of the man suspected of carrying out the attack.
But she said the investigation has been unable to find definitive eye-witness accounts to tie the suspect to the location at the time of the attack. She said: “Where I live in a lovely community. I’ve known everyone here for a long time. “Sometimes people give me a call and say the man’s name, but I tell them there’s no point telling me, tell the police. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone’s family.
“People have to have a heart and be brave enough to stand up in court. The saying goes you get away with a few things in life, but you never get away with murder. I have a lot of time left and I won’t go away until the person who killed my brother is locked up.”
Kevin Clague, head of Merseyside Police’s serious crime review unit, said: “It’s now five years since Terry was fatally assaulted and I have no doubt that his family are devastated they have still not got the answers they deserve. Terry was a well-known and liked member of the Norris Green community, but for some reason he was specifically targeted and subjected to a brutal assault. He never recovered from his injuries and died just a few months later.
“We remain determined to find the person responsible for Terry’s death and get justice for Terry’s death and I would urge anyone living in or around the Norris Green community who has information which could assist our investigation to get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police’s social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 19100319269 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
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William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
