A man who stabbed another man to death in a front garden following a dispute over a romantic affair has been cleared of murder, but found guilty of manslaughter.
Richard Hunt, 37, from Ipswich, suffered fatal stab wounds to the heart and lungs at the Sutton Heath estate near Woodbridge, Suffolk, on 8 May.
Jay Cotterill, 43, of Ipswich Avenue, Sutton Heath, was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty. In the lead up to the fatal altercation, the victim turned up on Cotterill’s doorstep with a baseball bat, and the pair had a fight.
After a four week trial at Ipswich Crown Court, Cotterill was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and will be sentenced on 9 August.
Cotterill was also cleared of a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm against Mr Hunt’s ex-partner, who was also present that night.
Emergency services were called to the incident at about 21:00 but Mr Hunt died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination concluded he sustained seven stab wounds and two of these – to the heart and left lung – had proved fatal.
The court heard throughout the trial that Cotterill and Hunt were acquainted because they had shared a woman.
She and Mr. Hunt had been in a longer-term relationship for almost seven years, which came to an end in 2016.
Her affair, which ended just before the events of May 8, was with Cotterill, who was in a committed relationship. Their relationship began in May 2023.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Cotterill’s partner found texts from the lady on his cell phone, and the two ladies “traded insults” over the phone.
On social media, Cotterill and his partner as well as Mr. Hunt and his ex-girlfriend continued to communicate.
Mr. Hunt had driven on the evening of the murder
The court heard throughout the trial that Cotterill and Hunt were acquainted because they had shared a woman.
She and Mr. Hunt had been in a longer-term relationship for almost seven years, which came to an end in 2016.
Her affair, which ended just before the events of May 8, was with Cotterill, who was in a committed relationship. Their relationship began in May 2023.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Cotterill’s partner found texts from the lady on his cell phone, and the two ladies “traded insults” over the phone.
On social media, Cotterill and his partner as well as Mr. Hunt and his ex-girlfriend continued to communicate.
Mr. Hunt had driven on the evening of the murder
When Cotterill emerged, the two got into a fight. During the altercation, Cotterill took a blow to the face but managed to grab the bat and struck both Mr. Hunt and his former partner.
Returning indoors, Cotterill brandished a big kitchen knife and stabbed Mr. Hunt, causing his death.
After turning himself in to the police, he was accused of murder.
According to police, the prosecution argued that Cotterill’s choice of conduct exceeded what was reasonable under the circumstances of the case.
But the jury found him guilty of manslaughter, not murder, and found him guilty of the lesser charge.
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