A teenager who casually walked into a stranger's house and stabbed an elderly guest to death has been jailed.
Daniel Rounce, 18, visciously knifed Gerald Wickes, 79, whilst he was speaking to his ex-wife inside her home in Eyres Monsell, Leicester. The grandad went to visit his former partner and his son, Garry Wickes, when the attack took place on February 22 last year.
According to Leicestershire Police, Mr Wickes and his ex-wife asked the teenager what he was doing in the house. In response, he took the weapon out from his jacket pocket and stabbed him in the chest. Rounce, who was 17 at the time, fled the scene in Queens Park Way. Police launched a murder probe following initial reports that the teen has been seen in a wooded area close to the property, ahead of the attack.
CCTV showed him running away from the area after the stabbing. A search of the wooded area nearby led to a knife being recovered as well as two rucksacks which were later identified as belonging to the teenager. A search for Rounce continued into the evening leading to a police officer spotting him in the Aylestone Road area of Leicester at around 11.15pm. He was subsequently arrested and following further enquiries was charged two days later with the murder of Mr Wickes.
Mr Wickes was visiting his family at the time (PA)
Daniel Rounce murdered the pensioner last year (PA)Rounce, of The Green, Markfield, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday. The court heard how he was unknown to the victim. The jury heard from the prosecution that Rounce did not dispute that he was the person who stabbed Mr Wickes. However, he had pleaded not guilty to murder.
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On Monday (April 15), the jury was told that there would be no defence case at all as Rounce's barrister, Anthony Bell, said that Rounce would not be going in the witness stand and would not give any evidence. In a statement given previously, Garry Wickes, called his dad "one of life’s helpers." He said: "I am so very proud to say that Ged Wickes was my dad. From the day I was born, he has always been there, from teaching me to swim at a very early age to teaching me to fish which has stayed with me all my life."
The crime took place in Queen's Park Way (LeicestershireLive/BPM)Following the verdict, the senior investigating officer in the case, detective inspector David Greenhalgh, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “This was a devastating incident which resulted in a 79-year-old man losing his life in a horrendous way because of the actions of a teenager who was unknown to him.
“We will never fully know why this happened and my thoughts very much remain with Mr Wickes’ family. They have lost a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather and this verdict does not make things any easier or bring their loved one back. I thank them for their support and the co-operation they have shown during this extremely difficult time. I would also like to thank all the officers who responded to the incident, and who have assisted with the investigation since, for their dedication and professionalism which has ultimately led to this verdict being returned in court.”
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