Murderer who was killed in prison was 'no angel' but had a 'massive heart' say family

The family of a convicted killer from Stalybridge who was stabbed to death at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire have paid tribute to him.

Stephen Strutt, 42, was found in a critical condition at 9am on Saturday, July 13 ,but died of his injuries that afternoon. 

He was three years into a life sentence after being one of four people found guilty of murdering Warren Glover, 33, in St Helens after a six-week trial. 

In a tribute, Stephen’s family said: “Stephen was larger than life. He was the life and soul of the party.

“Devoted to his only son, who he was immensely proud of attending university.

“Ste, to those that knew him, had a massive heart and would help anybody if he could. Everybody had time for Ste. His enormous circle of friends would testify to that.

“He was not a saint by any means, but he was loyal to his family and his friends. He was such a big personality.”

Strutt was jailed for a minimum of 20 years for the revenge attack in 2020, in which father-of-one Mr Glover was beaten with a metal bar after sending a string of “offensive and provocative” texts while drunk to his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Stubbs, her parents and a friend. 

She, alongside her brother Aaron Stubbs, Strutt and his brother-in-law Peter Walker, travelled by car to the Toll Bar area of St Helens, where they attacked their victim outside his home. 

He died in hospital three weeks later after suffering catastrophic brain injuries. 

Although it was Aaron Stubbs who struck the fatal blow to Mr Glover, Strutt was convicted of murder under the controversial joint enterprise doctrine, despite the judge saying in sentencing that he had played “a secondary role”. 

A 46-year-old man has been arrested and bailed back to prison on suspicion of murder.