TEENAGER FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER OF GRANDFATHER

A teenager has been found guilty of murder over the death of a 79-year-old man.

Gerald Wickes was fatally wounded when he was stabbed in the heart while visiting his ex-wife and son in Leicester in February last year.

Daniel Rounce was found guilty of murder and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

The 18-year-old, from Markfield near Leicester, is due to be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday.

At the prosecution opening of the case on April 9, the court heard Rounce "walked calmly" into a property on Queen's Park Way, Eyres Monsell, and within 90 seconds had stabbed Mr Wickes through the diaphragm and heart.

He was chased by the deceased's son as he fled the scene, before being arrested nearly seven hours later.

Prosecutors said CCTV footage showed Rounce "scoping out" the area and "psyching himself up" before he attacked the grandfather.

Mr Bailey said it showed the defendant carrying two bags and wearing a distinctive motorcycle helmet, which he removed and "stashed" nearby before the attack.

Det Insp David Greenhalgh, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said the verdict "does not make things any easier or bring their loved one back".

"This was a devastating incident which resulted in a 79-year-old man losing his life in a horrendous way because of the actions of a teenager who was unknown to him," he said.

"We will never fully know why this happened and my thoughts very much remain today with Mr Wickes' family."

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2024-04-15T16:33:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd