Final defendant cleared of manslaughter in trial

The final defendant in a trial of six men accused of killing a man who was strangled to death in his home has been found not guilty of manslaughter.

Ian Staves was found dead at his home in Cherry Lane, Wootton, North Lincolnshire, on 12 September 2022, having been killed the night before.

Bobby Gibson, 20, of Woodcock Street, Hull, was cleared of murder on Tuesday and also cleared of the lesser charge of manslaughter on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the other five defendants were all cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter following a four-week trial. A sentencing date has been fixed for all six men on Friday at Bradford Crown Court.

Two of the men, Patrick and Jamie Smith, previously admitted a charge of conspiracy to burgle and the jury returned guilty verdicts on this charge for the other four defendants.

The six men are due to be sentenced for:

• Nicholas James St Clair, 36, of Castle Grove, Hull, one count of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to burgle

• Aaron Windas, 41, of Anlaby Road, Hull, one count of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to burgle

• Celestino Furtado, 38, of Waterloo Street, Hull, one count of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to burgle

• Jamie Smith, 35, of Skippindale Road, Scunthorpe, one count of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to burgle

• Patrick Joseph Smith, 29, of no fixed address, one count of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to burgle

• Bobby Gibson, 20, of Woodcock Street, Hull, one count of conspiracy to burgle

Forensic pathologist Dr Christopher Johnson told Bradford Crown Court there was strong evidence Mr Staves' neck had been "forcibly compressed".

Prosecutor Tom Storey KC previously told the court that, in the run-up to the killing, the defendants had exchanged multiple messages and carried out a "reconnaissance trip" to Mr Staves' home.

Three men were later captured on CCTV at the address, with a fourth seen entering the driveway of a neighbouring property.

Jurors were told Mr Staves was a cocaine user and had been under police investigation for involvement in controlled drugs at the time of his death.

"Whatever lay behind the attack, nothing justifies what happened to Mr Staves," Mr Storey told the court.

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