Lee Turner

Lee Turner was stabbed in the chest whilst on The Venney in Pinehurst, Swindon, on 10 October 2021.

An 18-year-old Youth from Empress Avenue, Waltham Forest, was tried for his murder but acquitted at a trial in January 2023 after claiming he had acted in self-defence, although he pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and two counts of involvement in the supply of class A drugs and was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years.

The Youth was initially tried in April 2022 but the jury was hung.

The Youth had been 17-years-old at the time of the incident.

Lee Turner had lived in Park North, Swindon.

The stabbing took place on a mound in a playing field known locally as The Venney, near to May Close.

It was noted that extraordinarily, the confrontation was accidentally recorded on Lee Turner’s mobile telephone.

At the trial it was heard that the Youth had gone to Swindon from London to run a county lines operation with two friends, dealing in Class A drugs and that Lee Turner had gone to The Venney to rob them. The drug dealing operation was referred to as the JoJo County lines network.

It was heard that the Youth had been told that someone was planning to rob him and so he had armed himself with a knife.

It was also heard that Lee Turner, who had a probation officer, had once described himself to him as a professional robber of drug dealers and that at the time of the stabbing he had been armed with at least one pair of matching knives and possibly a Stanley knife.

It was alleged in court that Lee Turner had held a knife to one of the Youth's friends and shouted:

The Youth then stabbed him once in the chest, claiming that he had been afraid. However, the situation was also described by the prosecution as a 'coming together' and that the stabbing had resulted out of a row over money.

The prosecution said that the Youth had gone to Swindon on 9 October 2021 to spend the day dealing drugs from a pub car park on behalf of the JoJo county line gang. The Youth had stayed in a flat above Bobby’s Fish and Chip Shop opposite The Manor pub and carried out drug deals in the field behind the pub's car park.

The following day the Youth went to The Vinney to sell crack cocaine and heroin and it was whilst there that they were approached by Lee Turner before he was killed a short time later.

The Youth said that when Lee Turner approached them, he approached them from behind and started screaming and shouting and at when he told him they didn't have any drug on them he pulled out a knife and put it to his friends throat and told them:

The Youth said that he gave Lee Turner all the money he had, between £80 and £90, but that Lee Turner then pulled out another knife and said:

He said that he then took out his own knife to protect himself, and stabbed Lee Turner to the left hand side of his chest, noting that he was extremely fearful. He said:

After stabbing Lee Turner, the Youth and his two friends ran off through woodland and discarded some of their clothes and then made their way back to London.

However, the prosecution noted that none of the money that the Youth claimed to have handed over to Lee Turner was found. The prosecution said:

The prosecution said that it had been a slick operation and that good business was done on the Saturday and a not inconsiderable amount of money made. They said then that later Lee Turner came along, who was himself also a drug user, and a man capable of violence who was certainly armed with knives as well.

The prosecution stated:

After the stabbing the Youth and his two friends ran into woodland on the border of The Venny where the Youth discarded two items of dark clothing and threw the knife into a brook. They then went into Swindon town centre and caught a train to Reading and then another to London.

The Youth was arrested five days later on 15 October 2021.

It was noted however, that extraordinarily, the incident was recorded on Lee Turner's voice mail.

It was heard that the recording moved some members of the public observing the proceedings to tears. In it Lee Turner was heard threatening violence, stating:

The youth was also heard to say:

Which was said to have meant he had stabbed him.

When Lee Turner was found, there was a knife by him, which DNA tests suggested had been his.

Lee Turner was pronounced dead at 3.09pm.

The Youth was tried at Bristol Crown Court at a trial that lasted for two weeks and was acquitted on 18 January 2023.