A man jailed for life for the brutal murder of a Mirfield man has died in prison.

Aaron Smith, formerly of Savile Street in Emley , was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years for the murder of Josh Hirst.

Josh, 20, was attacked and had his throat cut just yards from his home in Grove Street in August, 2012.

He had been out celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday.

Smith and Joe Church, of Redlands Close, Mirfield , were both jailed for life while a third defendant was cleared of murder and manslaughter.

Murderer Aaron Francis Smith, of Emley

The Examiner can reveal that Smith, who was serving his sentence in HMP Bristol, died in custody on December 19 last year, three days after his 23rd birthday.

No details of the circumstances have been disclosed but an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is underway.

Leeds Crown Court was told how Josh was stabbed in a ginnel. He staggered to his parents’ home but had suffered massive blood loss and died later in hospital.

Church, who attacked Josh with a knife, fled with Smith – both soaked in blood – to a house in Waterloo where they tried to destroy evidence.

Joshua Hirst
Joshua Hirst

After sentencing Josh’s parents issued a statement paying tribute to their son, describing the attack as “evil and cowardly.”

A Prison Service spokesman said: “HMP Bristol prisoner Aaron Smith died in custody on Monday December 19 2016.

“As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

Floral tributes left for murder victim Josh Hirst on Hepworth Lane, Mirfield.