The boy who became famous for the “Accrington Stanley, who are they” line in a classic milk advert ended up being a convicted murderer.
Kevin Spaine, who once starred in the iconic 1980s Milk Marketing Board advert that resonated with Liverpool fans due to the mention of Reds icon Ian Rush and the retro LFC kits, later found his life overshadowed by crime. His descent into criminality ended in horror when he was found guilty of the murder of Learoy Venner, whom he brutally assaulted in an Anfield flat.
At the age of 43, Spaine received a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years at Liverpool Crown Court. The advert has recently resurfaced on social media after Liverpool, currently leading the Premier League, drew Accrington Stanley in the third round of the FA Cup, marking their first encounter since 1955-56.
As Accrington Stanley visited Anfield today, we looked back on Spaine’s fall from childhood fame to incarceration.
In court, Spaine’s defence highlighted his past as a “very promising young footballer” and his role in the memorable Milk Marketing Board television advertisement, where he appeared alongside another boy, both donning Liverpool FC kits.
He appears only momentarily on camera, strolling past the scene as the focus shifts to his co-star Carl Rice by a fridge in the kitchen. The defendant is overheard asking, “have you got any lemonade? “, with Rice’s character responding, “If you want.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
A famous advert for milk dating from the 1980s in which a young boy worries he will only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley. The child actor off camera who utters the famous line “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” is Kevin Spaine who was jailed this week for murder
(Image: Youtube)
Upon pouring milk instead of lemonade, Spaine mockingly says: “Milk? Eurgh.”
Rice’s character retorts with a reference to the legendary Ian Rush: “It’s what Ian Rush drinks. He said if I don’t drink lots of milk, when I grow up I’ll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.”
This sets up Spaine for the iconic line “Accrington Stanley, who are they? ” to which a young Mr Rice, later soaring to fame with roles in Coronation Street and Brassic, asserts “exactly”.
Despite previous misattribution of the role to “Kevin Staine”, it was indeed Spaine who said the lines. His post-advertisement life, however, took a dark turn into crime and substance misuse, resulting in approximately 40 court appearances for close to 100 offences.
His criminal record since 1999 includes serious crimes such as dealing heroin and crack cocaine, wounding, and assault with intent to rob.
John Harrison KC, the legal representation for the accused, told the court: “This defendant’s life has been ruined and dominated by the abuse of illegal drugs. He has a very long history of criminal offending. We know he’s been in this situation for 20 years or more, but he wasn’t always like that. Mr Spaine was a very promising young footballer, and he appeared in a very famous advertisement on the television – an advert for milk involving Accrington Stanley.
Learoy Venner
(Image: Merseyside Police)
“He played a part in that advertisement. At an age of 10 or 12, or however old he was, he had a promising future. Shortly afterwards, he sinks into a life of criminality. Twenty years later, he is convicted of murder.”
The tragic case saw Mr Venner lose his life; during the trial, details emerged that at the time of the deadly altercation on 27 July 2022, he had been temporarily staying at the Anfield flat, stifling his sleep on a camp bed in the living room. The residence had degenerated into what was described as a ‘drug den’, frequented by individuals including Spaine.
However, on the fateful day, despite initially being denied access, Spaine managed to enter the apartment courtesy of Mark Kelly, another tenant who subsequently left to sort out the electricity meter. In Kelly’s absence, the attack on Mr Venner occurred leading to his grievous injury, while Spaine later made his way to his mother’s house to change his attire.
Later that evening, police apprehended him, later being charged with murder, Spaine reacted with confusion, stating: “That’s a big charge, what do you mean murder? “.
Kevin Spaine
(Image: Facebook)
During questioning by detectives, Spaine later claimed that Mr Venner, from Toxteth, had “taken two swings at him” and he had struck back with four or five punches “in self-defence”. However, a post-mortem examination disclosed that Mr Venner had sustained “multiple forceful blows”, resulting in a brain injury – “the sort of trauma usually associated with a car crash or a fall from height”.
Senior Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Angie Rowan, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, commented: “Kevin Spaine admitted his actions had killed Mr Venner and, indeed, said he had gone over the top, but he said he hadn’t intended to do him serious harm. The Crown Prosecution Service couldn’t accept that. He had rained blows and kicks on Mr Venner who was not a well man. He left him for dead and did nothing to raise the alarm. We said that he did mean to cause really serious harm and indeed was reckless to what the outcome of his vicious assault was. The cause of this extreme violence seems to have been that Mr Venner would not let him into the flat. Now Spaine has been jailed for life for murder.”
Mr Venner’s injuries were so severe they were likened to those seen in car crash victims. After just two hours and 39 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Spaine guilty, and he received a life sentence.
He sat with his head bowed in the dock as the sentence was delivered.
During sentencing, Judge Brian Cummings KC stated: “Only you will know the detail of what happened in the flat at that time. You have shown yourself to be a shocking liar. I am sure there was no element of self-defence in anything you did to Leroy Venner. What possible threat could he have presented to you? “.
“I am sure you struck him multiple heavy punches to the face and then finished your attack by kicking him, probably more than once and with force. What precisely caused you to want to do all of this will never be known to anyone other than yourself. You were very insistent of wanting to get into the flat.”
“I am sure your interest in gaining entry to the flat was because you hoped to get either drugs or money – probably, you were disappointed in that hope. I do not find this was a murder for gain. However I am sure when you gained access to the flat, having been kept hanging around, those things led you to launch a ferocious attack upon him.”
“He had no chance of escaping you or fighting you off. You attacked and killed a man whom you knew to be weak and in poor health. I accept that the eruption of violence occurred spontaneously, albeit you were in an agitated state having regard to the fact you’d been kept waiting outside. You left him unconscious on his back and breathing in his own blood for something like half an hour before he actually died.”
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