Ian Little

Ian Little died after being stabbed at his home following a row over a stolen television.

A 33-year-old man was tried for his murder but acquitted.

Ian Little was stabbed at what was described as a rundown house in Landseer Court, Corby on 3 March 2020 at about 9pm following a row.

Following the stabbing Ian Little was taken to University Hospital in Coventry where he died from multiple organ failure twenty one days later.

The not guilty verdict of both murder and manslaughter was said to have been a surprise.

Following the acquittal, a Detective Inspector said:

The police added that they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.

Ian Little and the man had previously been friends and had shared the property in Landseer Court, but a few months before the incident they had fallen out and the man tried moved out.

However, on 3 March 2020 he returned to the house to see a mutual friend who was living at the property. Ian Little and some other people had also been there and it was said that despite the previous issues they might have had that they appeared to get along well.

The court heard that there had been a large sheath knife in the living room of the property that had belonged to Ian Little and that he later went out with it, being seen at about 6.45pm in a street a couple of miles away where he threatened someone with it.

He later went back to Landseer Court after which, at about 8pm he went out to a nearby flat to see another mutual friend where he stole a television which he took back to Landseer Court and tried to get it to work. However, he couldn't and so he threw it on the floor, breaking it.

It was said then that Ian Little began to say that it was the man who was on trial's fault and demanded that he pay for the broken television.

At the trial the prosecution stated that the man tried by then had possession of the knife and that during the row he stabbed Ian Little with it in the chest, killing him.

However, the man tried claimed that Ian Little had had the knife and that Ian Little grabbed him by the throat and hit him in the chest with the hilt of the knife, but that he had thought he had been stabbed and so took hold of Ian Little's arm and barged him away and tried to make a run from the room.

He said that he then heard Ian Little call his name and ask for help and that when he turned to see, he saw that Ian Little had the knife sticking out of his chest.

The man tried said that he then called 999 and gave Ian Little first aid whilst he waited for the paramedics to arrive.

The man was tried at Northampton Crown Court in August 2020 and was acquitted of all charges.