Hitman nicknamed ‘The Iceman’ and ‘brother in arms’ accomplice jailed for life for gangland murder of ‘Mr Big’ and mob enforcer who helped Steven Gerrard

A HITMAN nicknamed The Iceman will die behind bars for the “cold-blooded” executions of a mob enforcer who helped Steven Gerrard and a gangland “Mr Big”.

Mark Fellows, 38, blasted Salford mobster Paul Massey 18 times with an Uzi as he frantically tried to dive for cover behind bins.

Dad-of-five Massey, a notorious “Mr Big” crime figure in the area, died within minutes of the shooting in July 2015.

Three years later, gang associate and “mob enforcer” John Kinsella, 53, was murdered by Fellows in a second “cold-blooded” execution.

Kinsella had helped footballer Steven Gerrard by scaring off a Liverpool gangster known as The Psycho who had been “terrorising” him.

‘COLD-BLOODED’ MURDER

The martial arts expert was walking his dogs with his pregnant girlfriend near their home in Rainhill, Merseyside, on May 5 last year when he was shot twice in the back.

As he lay dying, Fellows stood over him and blasted him twice more in his head from close range with the Webley six-shot revolver.

On both occasions, his co-accused and “brother in arms” Steven Boyle, 36, had allegedly acted as spotter to ensure the planned victims were in place and to act as back-up.

CAGED FOR LIFE

Fellows was today give a whole life order after being convicted of both murders but found not guilty of the attempted murder of Kinsella’s partner Wendy Owen.

The sentence means he will die behind bars and never be considered for release.

Boyle was found guilty of the murder of Kinsella, but cleared of the murder of Massey and the attempted murder of Miss Owen.

He was today jailed for life with a minimum of 33 years at Liverpool Crown Court.

As Fellows was led to the cells, he screamed “I didn’t shoot at Wendy Owen. She’s lying” as cries of “rat” came from the public gallery.

Sentencing, Justice William Davis told Fellows: “You were a gun for hire prepared to kill whoever you were asked to kill by those who hired you.”

The judge added: “I have never had to deal with a contract killer of your kind before. There are few judges who have.”

KILLER SMILE

The brutes smiled yesterday when the verdicts were returned as families of the two victims wept silently.

Fellows was also heard telling his co-defendant: “It’s your f***ing fault you f***ing grass.”

During a 26-day trial, jurors were told both men were slaughtered as a result of a deadly feud between rival gangs in Salford – the A-Team the victims were linked to and a splinter cell.

Armed police were also forced to patrol outside the court carrying Heckler and Koch machine guns after the killers tried to burst out of the court building.

Speaking outside court yesterday, Louise Lydiate, Massey’s partner and mother of two of his children, said: “Anyone who knows Paul would tell you he was a very generous, kind man who would do anything for anybody.

“He was a grandfather of eight. All these Mr Big and things like that come from people who obviously don’t know him.

“It’s been a long journey, very long journey. A sad journey, I just hope now we can move on in our lives as a family and get back to some normality.”