Ring Doorbell Footage Proves Crucial in Murder Conviction
A man who was recorded on his own Ring doorbell camera uttering the chilling words "the f***ing idiot's dead" just moments after a fatal shooting has been found guilty of murder. Ryan Walsh-Westhead, 25, was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court for the murder of 36-year-old Rikki Berry, who was known to friends as "Nuggy."
Coordinated Attack Captured on CCTV
The court heard how Mr. Berry was shot three times outside his girlfriend's house on Quarryside Drive in Kirkby on July 17, 2024. The attack involved a coordinated effort between an electric bike rider and a black Seat Ateca Cupra car. The gunman, wearing a balaclava and gloves, fired four shots from the e-bike while the car slowed to a stop nearby.
Prosecutors established that Walsh-Westhead was one of three occupants in the vehicle, which traveled "in convoy" with the electric bike during the shooting. The other two men in the car were identified as Adam Williams and Connor Walsh, who is Walsh-Westhead's uncle. Michael Smith was identified as the gunman on the electric bike.
Damning Doorbell Evidence
Approximately one minute after the shooting, Ring doorbell footage from Walsh-Westhead's home on Farrier Road captured him and his uncle Connor Walsh entering the property. The audio clearly recorded Walsh-Westhead saying "the f***ing idiot's dead," followed by his uncle asking, "Did you get him? Did you get Nuggy?"
When police visited the address on August 6, 2024, they noted the presence of the CCTV doorbell. However, upon returning the following day, officers discovered the device had been removed, with only three holes remaining where it had been mounted. Investigators were able to recover the crucial video evidence from Walsh-Westhead's mother's phone.
Previous Convictions and Sentencing
Three other men had already been convicted for Mr. Berry's murder in a previous trial at the same court. Michael Smith and Adam Williams each received life sentences with minimum terms of 31 years imprisonment. Connor Walsh was sentenced to life with a minimum of 30 years before parole consideration.
During the recent two-week trial, a jury of seven men and five women found Walsh-Westhead guilty of both murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Members of Rikki Berry's family wept in the public gallery as the verdict was delivered, while the defendant showed no visible reaction.
Defendant's Contested Account
Under questioning from his defense counsel Richard Littler KC, Walsh-Westhead claimed he had been on "good terms" with Mr. Berry, having known him "all his life." He testified that he was walking from his mother's to his grandfather's house when approached by the Seat car.
Walsh-Westhead asserted that instead of saying "the f***ing idiot's dead," he had actually remarked, "The f***ing idiots are dead," referring to the perpetrators of the shooting. He described his uncle as being "under the influence" and in an "erratic state" at the time, slurring his words and unable to keep still.
Additional CCTV evidence presented during the trial showed Walsh-Westhead driving the vehicle used in the murder earlier on the same day. The prosecution maintained that all four men were involved in the coordinated attack that claimed Rikki Berry's life.
