Heysham murder featured in TV documentary

Leigh Smith

A TV documentary has shown how a killer who murdered a man in Heysham was brought to justice.

Monday night's episode of 'Murder: Suspect No 1' on Channel 5 featured the case of Leigh Smith, who was jailed for 22 years after murdering Keith Thompson in September 2024.

Smith was jailed after initially denying he murdered Keith in a Heysham basement.

Officers were called to reports of an assault off Heysham Road, near to the Bay Medical Centre, Heysham in the early hours of Saturday September 28 2024.

Emergency services attended the scene and Mr Thompson was taken to hospital, where he died.

Keith Thompson, below.

A post mortem examination later established the cause of Mr Thompson’s death was blunt force trauma to the head.

Smith had violently assaulted Mr Thompson by kicking, hitting, and punching him repeatedly.

"Earlier this year, part of the team who investigated Keith’s murder took part in a documentary episode which gave a behind-the-scenes look into the investigation and how the man responsible for Keith’s death was brought to justice," said a Lancashire Police spokesperson this week.

"Our thoughts very much remain with Keith’s family, and we have filmed this episode with their blessing.

"We know it will be tough for them to hear about Keith’s death again as the episode airs, and we thank them for allowing us to assist in sharing Keith’s story."

The episode aired at 9pm on Channel 5 on January 5.

Read more: Man jailed for life for murder of man in Heysham - Beyond Radio

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