Man, 83, guilty of murder after stabbing nephew

An 83-year-old man, who stabbed his nephew 11 times and then started a fire to cover up the killing, has been found guilty of murder.

Firefighters found Andrew Avery, 65, lying in a smoke-filled house in Gosport, Hampshire, in November 2024.

Defendant Alan Wotton, who was living in the property which Avery was trying to sell, believed his nephew was trying to defraud him, Portsmouth Crown Court was told.

Wotton is due to be sentenced on 22 October.

On the day of the attack on 29 September, Wotton was reluctantly due to move out of his late sister's house in Exmouth Road, the court was told.

Firefighters found Avery lying in the property with seven stab wounds to the chest and further injuries to his legs and abdomen, the jury heard.

Wotton, then aged 81, told police he punched his nephew and then began to stab him "to shut him up".

When asked by detectives how he felt about the number of stab wounds, Wotton replied "I did a good job," the court heard.

Following the killing, two psychiatrists diagnosed Wotton as suffering from a delusional disorder.

However, they disagreed over whether the condition caused the crime.

Wotton falsely believed his nephew had spread rumours about him being a paedophile, the court heard.

He was also upset that his nephew was moving him to a flat and intended to pay fees for the property out of Wotton's inheritance from his sister, the jury was told.

The defendant, who denied the murder charge, admitted killing his nephew and also pleaded guilty to arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

However, the jury rejected Wotton's pleas of self-defence and diminished responsibility, after deliberating for less than two hours following the two-week trial.

Simon Clark, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Andrew Avery had been helping his uncle and arranging for his future.

"Instead, he lost his life in a horrific and wholly unnecessary act of violence.

"Our thoughts remain with Andrew's family and loved ones and we hope today's verdict provides them with some measure of justice."