Family pays tribute to ‘much-loved’ grandfather shot dead in his home

The devastated family of a 60-year-old man who was shot dead in his own home have paid tribute, saying he was a “much-loved father, granddad and partner”.

A team of 35 detectives is working on the inquiry into the murder of Barry Dawson, who was blasted once through the downstairs window of his terraced house in Stanley, County Durham, on Saturday afternoon.

In a statement, his family said: “Barry was a much-loved father, granddad and partner who will be greatly missed.

“We are truly devastated, and his loss will leave an enormous gap in our lives.”

Mr Dawson’s family continue to be supported by specialist family liaison officers.

A 37-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman who were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder on Sunday remain in police custody.

Durham Police said there will continue to be a significant police presence in the Elm Street area of South Moor, Stanley, where Mr Dawson lived.

The force said detectives were pursuing several lines of inquiry including the movements of a white Seat Arona registration NA24 OJK, which was in the Stanley and Annfield Plain area on Saturday.

Doorbell camera footage has emerged of the shooting in which two figures can be seen approaching Mr Dawson’s home, one smashing the window and another, in a hood, firing once through the blinds, before the pair run off.

A man can then be heard shouting: “They’ve killed me dad.”