Sarah Knight and Claire Fraser secured the conviction of a man who strangled his elderly neighbour to death in his own home before fleeing the scene. After the killing, the defendant tried to make the murder scene appear to be the scene of a burglary. He moved items within his neighbour’s home, stole some of his belongings and moved the body. He also tried to dispose of evidence.
At trial, the defendant contended that the act of strangulation was an act of self-defence following an argument between the two men who the defendant said had been friends. The defendant contended that the deceased, who had previously lent him money for his drug addiction, threw a bottle at him and pulled a knife on the defendant.
The trial lasted three weeks. The defendant was convicted of murder. He was sentenced on the 19th June 2025 to life imprisonment. Sarah and Claire were instructed by East Midlands CPS.
Coverage on the case can be found here.
Further information
For more information from the crime team, contact clerks@36crime.co.uk
