A ‘besotted’ girlfriend of a man who murdered a cyclist and helped conceal him in a hotel room sobbed as she was sentenced to two years behind bars.
Samantha Reader was the on-again off-again girlfriend of Joey Matthews – who was convicted along with his friend Brandon Ali – of mowing down Carl Eland as he cycled on a pavement.
CCTV footage showed the white car mount the walkway on Homerton Road, Middlesbrough and hit the father-of-four who died from his injuries five days later on August 26, 2021.
Matthews and Ali denied murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, but both were found guilty and sentenced to life behind bars, with a minimum term of 21-years in 2022.
Now Matthews girlfriend, Reader has been jailed for two years and two months after pleading guilty to assisting an offender.
The 27-year-old previously wept as the court was told how she hung up the phone on officers who had called to ask where Matthews while he was on the run.
She also texted Matthews’ mother to share the phone number of the detective who had called her – warning her to ‘be careful’, the court heard.
As the search for murderer Matthews continued, he and Reader were lying low at The Days Inn hotel in Wyndham from September 29 until October 8, 2021.
The ‘on-off’ girlfriend of Joey Matthew, Samantha Reader (pictured) has been sentenced to two years and two months behind bars for assisting an offender
Joey Matthews (pictured) mounted the pavement in a white Vauxhall car and mowed down father-of-four Carl Eland in Middlesbrough
The 37-year-old (pictured) died five days later on August 26, 2021 from his injuries
The ‘on-off’ girlfriend also contacted her sister, asking for pyjamas and a firestick, as she searched: ‘How long do murderers serve in prison?’, on her phone.
But Matthews and Reader’s time on the run came to a halt when they were stopped by police whilst in a taxi driving down Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough on October 7, 2021.
Reader initially told the probation service as well as her barrister that she wasn’t aware of what Matthews had done, the court heard.
The court was told that the pair had a rocky relationship, with Reader aware that Matthews would see other women.
‘He came to see her as and when he pleased – but she was besotted with him,’ mitigating, Gareth Henderson-Moor said: ‘She was hoping for a happy ending.
‘She has vulnerabilities. She is immature and has ADHD. She is very anxious about what awaits her.’
Judge Jonathan Carroll told Reader: ‘You assisted your then-boyfriend Joey Matthews evade arrest, for the murder of Carl Eland. For a week you did anything and everything to help him evade arrest.
‘Your Google searches made it clear you knew – but you tell probation that you didn’t know what he was wanted for. That was a clear lie.
‘You repeat that lie today. You have little, or no, remorse. I accept that in reality, you were a besotted young woman.’
Matthews and Brandon Ali were sentenced to a minimum jail term of 21-years after being found guilty of murder and grievous bodily harm
Reader, previously of Queen’s Square in Middlesbrough, sobbed as she was jailed for two years and two months.
Detective Inspector Matt Hollingsworth, from Cleveland Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: ‘This sentencing should send a stark warning to people who think that they can assist or harbour individuals who are wanted by police.
‘You will be caught, and you could also be spending a period behind bars.
‘Reader was providing a form of protection to a man who we were seeking on suspicion of murder and went to numerous attempts to prevent him from being detected.
‘It is a criminal offence and one that we will proactively take action against to ensure that they are rightly punished through the justice system.’
