Skegness man who stabbed victim to death while sleeping faces 'life' sentence

Marcus Tott, 47, died at his rented property in Grosvenor Road, on December 2 last year.

Richard Lee Norris, 54, of Alexandra Road, Skegness, had denied a charge of murder but was found guilty after an eight day trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

After the trial it was disclosed Norris had 53 previous convictions for 184 offences including a 28 month sentence for burglary in 2020.

He had just been released from that sentence and had moved to Skegness.

Judge Simon Hirst told Norris: "I will sentence you on Monday. You know a life sentence awaits you."

The prosecution had alleged that in the early hours of December 2 last year Mr Tott was murdered by Mr Norris who stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife while he was asleep in his own flat.

A post mortem examination later showed Mr Tott had suffered a single stab wound to the right side of his chest which passed into his body by some 20cms.

Norris claimed the incident was an accident after there was an altercation inside Mr Tott's flat in which they both wrestled over the knife.

In his evidence Mr Norris accepted putting the same kitchen knife in a nearby drain on Dorothy Avenue after he left Mr Tott's flat.

During his police interviews Norris denied being the person responsible for the stabbing, giving the name of a woman, and said he he had not been at the flat that night.

Mr Norris was asked by prosecution barrister JeremyJanes why he now admitted lying in those interviews.

"I was scared because of what happened," Norris explained.

Mr Janes said the background to the murder was Mr Tott's relationship with a local woman, who Norris previously admitted loving.

Norris also denied CCTV footage of him walking towards Grosvenor Road on the night of the murder showed him holding a knife, telling the jury it was his phone.

Norris, of Alexandra Road, Skegness, denied murder on 2 December, 2022.

He was remanded back into custody and will be sentenced on 19 June.