Sunday, March 16, 2025

Spalding man pleads guilty to murder

The man responsible for the death of 52-year-old Darren Kirk has pleaded guilty to his murder.

Wayne Rule, 46, of Cygnet Court, Spalding, fatally stabbed Darren and attempted to kill another man in his 40s following a disagreement over drugs.

The violence began in the early hours of Monday 20 December 2021 and spread over two addresses.

Officers were alerted to a report that the man in his 40s had suffered stab wounds at a property in Bowditch Road, Spalding at 12.26am. On arrival, they found the victim with multiple injuries in a bedroom, and administered first aid before he was taken to hospital.

He named Rule as his attacker.

Then, less than an hour later at 1.10am a second call came that a stabbing had taken place at Cygnet Court in Spalding. Officers immediately dispatched, and found Darren injured in the kitchen.

He was sadly pronounced dead at 1.56am despite the best efforts of all those on scene.

Wayne Rule was quickly identified as the suspect in that incident. Following several hours of negotiation by specialist officers at his address, which was also at Cygnet Court, he was arrested by 7am that morning.

He has now pleaded guilty for the murder of Darren Kirk and the attempted murder of the man in his 40s.

The case was heard before High Court judge, His Honour Judge Hirst, sitting at Lincoln Crown Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy McWatt led the investigation. He said: “In December 2021 we were faced with a death and the attempted murder of two men which would have been wholly avoidable without the use of knives by Rule. He went to the addresses of both of these people and carried out his attacks.

“This has been a long investigation and something which has been further drawn out for the victims’ families due to Rule’s refusal to accept responsibility. We are very pleased that today he has now admitted the charges of murder and attempted murder and will be sentenced by the courts later this month.”

He will be sentenced on 16 January.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our news site - please take a moment to read this important message:

As you know, our aim is to bring you, the reader, an editorially led news site and magazine but journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them.

With the Covid-19 pandemic having a major impact on our industry as a whole, the advertising revenues we normally receive, which helps us cover the cost of our journalists and this website, have been drastically affected.

As such we need your help. If you can support our news sites/magazines with either a small donation of even £1, or a subscription to our magazine, which costs just £27.55 per year, (inc p&P and mailed direct to your door) your generosity will help us weather the storm and continue in our quest to deliver quality journalism.

As a subscriber, you will have unlimited access to our web site and magazine. You'll also be offered VIP invitations to our events, preferential rates to all our awards and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Just click here to subscribe and in the meantime may I wish you the very best.

Advertisment












Latest posts

Council to help renovate 60 homes on Grimsby street

North East Lincolnshire Council are to help renovate up to 60 homes on a Grimsby street. Rutland Street, on the East Marsh, has been identified...

Regeneration of Gainsborough’s historic heart celebrated

Restored historic shopfronts and quality residential units have been unveiled in Gainsborough’s town centre. West Lindsey District Council leaders celebrated the transformation of several properties...

South Kesteven District Council offers new grants scheme for military commemorations

South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) is offering grants for community groups organising commemorations on or around the summer’s 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe and...

Business leaders invited to help shape Greater Lincolnshire’s economic future

Businesses have been invited to play a key role in the future growth of Greater Lincolnshire by becoming part of the Economic Advisory Panel. The...

Initial works to begin on Alexandra Dock housing site in Grimsby

The next step towards the complete transformation of Grimsby Town Centre’s Alexandra Dock area is being taken. Following approval at a meeting of North East...

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close