A man from Oldham has been sentenced to life behind bars after being found guilty of murdering his friend.
Lee Francis Burns, of Worsley Street in Oldham, was yesterday (22 May) sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering 45-year-old Vincent McDonagh late last year, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed.
His sentencing comes after police were called to reports of a man being unconscious in the street on Abbey Hills Road in Oldham at around 11:55pm on Thursday 9 November 2023.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Vincent McDonagh – who was known as Vinny – with a “serious head injury”, but despite the best efforts of all emergency services involved, he he tragically passed away a short time later.
The court heard yesterday how the two “supposed friends” first headed out to a local pub.
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After Vinny gave Burns £20 to buys some drinks, both men decided to play some pool, and then, after half an hour of being at the pub, the pair engaged in “verbal altercation” – but this “quickly ended with a handshake”.
Abbey Hills Road in Oldham, where the tragic incident occurred last year / Credit: Google Maps
As the night went on, the pals continued drinking and subsequently left the pub “in good spirits” at around 10:50pm, but CCTV footage appeared to show the men engaging in another verbal altercation as they were walking home, which then went on to become “physical”.
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According to GMP, Burns punched Vinny in the arm, which caused him to slip and end up on the floor, and although Vinny tried to fend off Burns using his leg as a shield, the latter remained intent on “escalating the violence”, and after managing to get around his friend, Burns then followed-up with punches to knock Vinny unconscious, and finished off with further punches and stamps to the head before leaving the area and heading home.
When Burns arrived home, he apparently said to a neighbour “I think I’ve killed Vinny, I’ve stamped on his head”.
Less than six hours later, Burns was arrested on suspicion of murder after officers established his identity following “extensive CCTV research”.
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#JAILED | Lee Francis Burns has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering Vinny McDonagh.
The supposed friends went out drinking before a verbal altercation became physical.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 22, 2024
Throughout the trial, GMP says Burns “maintained innocence” and claimed he was “acting in self-defence”.
Speaking following Burns being sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison yesterday, Detective Inspector Paul Davies, from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, explained: “Our investigation has been meticulous, and we were able to draw up a timeline of both men’s movements, securing CCTV and audio footage from local premises.
“I would like to thank the initial attending officers and the investigating team whose swift actions, hard work, and dedication ensured Burns was identified and arrested within a short space of time.
“We will continue to support Vinny’s family in every way we can, and I hope today’s result can go some way to providing closure for them.”
Featured Image – GMP
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A ‘legacy walk’ in memory of the Joe Thompson is taking place across Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
The ‘Walk With Me for JT’, a.k.a Joe Thompson ‘Legacy Walk’, is back next month, and Greater Mancunians are being encouraged to take part.
Returning this year following his tragic passing last April, the now annual charity walk has already raised thousands for charity and is set for another big turnout.
Joe Thompson, an ex-Rochdale AFC and Bury FC player, sadly died at just 36 following a long battle with lymphoma, having been diagnosed three different times in 12 years.
While the young husband and father of two’s story is a heartbreaking one, it has also become a source of inspiration for so many across the North West and, indeed, across the UK, with people once again gearing up to complete a fundraising walk in his name.
Set to honour him by making the journey from his adopted home of Rochdale all the way to Old Trafford, with Thompson having come through Man United’s youth academy, the 15-mile trek will start at his former club’s Crown Oil Arena and stop at Bury’s Gigg Lane as well as Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium.
First held in 2024 under the ‘Walk With Me for JT’ banner, the initial legacy walk saw the Bath-born footballer and countless others complete 21 miles in an effort to raise money for treatment.
Gone but never forgotten, the charity walk survives not only in the hearts and souls of his family, friends and other people’s lives he touched, but in the community spirit that his struggle and immense bravery in the face of illness helped spur on throughout the region and beyond.
Writing on social media, the Thompson family and the Foundation in his memory said, “Last year, he walked beside us. This year, we walk for him. This isn’t just a walk… It’s a promise. A promise to carry his strength, his belief, his light forward.
For every family facing illness. For everyone experiencing loss or hardship. For anyone who needs hope right now. Every step matters. Every mile has meaning. Whether you’ve walked before or this is your first time. You won’t walk alone.”
Join the annual Joe Thompson legacy walk on Saturday 2nd May 💙
Departing from the Crown Oil Arena, the 15-mile walk will finish at Manchester United's Old Trafford 🏟️
They signed off by adding: “Be part of something bigger. Be part of Joe’s legacy. Be part of the movement. Get a team together, invite your friends, colleagues and family and let’s raise funds to support The Joe Thompson Foundation.”
With the event beginning at 11am on Saturday, 2 May, there have already been numerous sign-ups, and you can expect even more to lace up their shoes and pay tribute to a local hero.
If you want to join in the effort and help do your bit, you can register for the 2026 Joe Thompson Legacy Walk right HERE.
Manchester rent is now ‘41% more expensive than five years ago, according to a recent study
Danny Jones
Yes, that’s right, as per some of the latest data on leased housing in central Manchester, it’s now approximately 41% more expensive to rent here than it was half a decade ago.
If you’ve lived in and around the city centre for long enough, chances are that you’ve already been feeling that difference, especially of late.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis roughly began in 2021, following the economy and the world essentially opening back up after multiple lockdowns, so it’s little surprise that new research has shown affordability when it comes to renting has been on a slump ever since, too.
As well as the price of seemingly most things in everyday life going up post-pandemic, the average rental rate for even just a one-bedroom flat/apartment has jumped up significantly between 2020 and 2025.
Even some ‘available’ housing in town is being hampered by claddin (Credit: Valienne via WikiCommons)
That’s according to the numbers crunched by credit card experts, Zable, anyway.
Not only did their recent report cite the rent prices going up even before the cost of living crisis – essentially following the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak – but if their figures, the rate of inflation and the unwaveringly high demand for housing are anything to go by, this trajectory is likely to continue in 2026.
As of February this year, around one in three UK households is now a single-person occupancy, which already comes with its challenges (the Manchester City Council tax discount being a thin lifeline for countless), not to mention energy bills and the cost of groceries continuing on an upwards trend.
Put in the simplest and most reductive terms, it’s now almost £300 dearer for most people to live on their own than it was back in 2020, and besides Liverpool clocking in as second on the list of increasingly expensive cities to live (a 42.12% increase), Manchester came in third.
You can see the full table down below:
Rank
City
% increase – 2020-2025
Difference from 2020 to 2025 in £
Average rental cost for a 1 bed 2025
1
Newport
47.39%
£2,611
£8,121
2
Liverpool
42.12%
£2,290
£7,727
3
Manchester
41.00%
£3,364
£11,569
4
Edinburgh
40.28%
£4,620
£16,090
5
Leicester
39.93%
£2,391
£8,379
6
Wolverhampton
39.22%
£2,049
£7,273
7
Nottingham
39.07%
£2,400
£8,543
8
Glasgow
38.02%
£2,679
£9,725
9
Colchester
37.63%
£2,617
£9,572
10
Cardiff
37.06%
£2,828
Average rental cost for a 1-bed 2025
Another fear is that with lots of people finding it hard to manage living in other major cities like London, even those moving to Manchester are also having an impact on how available affordable housing is here.
That’s why schemes such as the new ‘social rent’ development over in Wythenshawe are so important to the current generations of renters, with the possibility of owning your own property in the future becoming increasingly difficult for so many.
It’s also worth noting that Manchester ranked fourth among the British locations where the cost of living is said to have increased the most over the past five years, with the average difference in annual spend growing by an estimated 22.84%.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd May 2024 
