A Skegness man who stabbed a former friend and then ran away leaving his victim with a fatal injury was convicted of murder by a jury at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.
Paul Bodell claimed he simply pushed his victim Paul Barnett, 45, after Mr Barnett went for him with a golf club during an incident in Grosvenor Road, Skegness.
He said what happened was an accident and denied he intended to either murder Mr Barnett or cause him really serious harm.
Paul Barnett sadly died in September 2020 and police put a cordon in place on Grosvenor Road in Skegness. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police/John Byford
The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for 11 hours over three days before returning a guilty verdict by a majority of 10 to 2.
Bodell, 37, of Grosvenor Road, Skegness, denied the murder of Paul Barnett on September 22, 2020.
He was remanded in custody to await sentence on a later date.
A murder investigation after the death of a man on Grosvenor Road in Skegness. | Photo: John Byford
Judge John Pini QC told him: “The jury have convicted you of murder. I will sentence you on a date that is going to be arranged. In the mean time you will remain in custody.”
During the three week trial Andrew Vout QC, prosecuting, told the jury: “It was not an accident. It was a vicious intentional blow with a lethal weapon. It was murder.”
He said the two men had been friends but fell out before the fatal incident. Paul Barnett complained that Bodell had taken his door keys off him and he wanted them back while Bodell believed Mr Barnett owed him £40.
Police put a cordon in place on Grosvenor Road in Skegness. | Photo: John Byford
Mr Vout said that Bodell concealed a large kitchen knife up his sleeve before seeking a confrontation with Mr Barnett in the street where both men lived.
“Paul Bodell stabbed Paul Barnett with such ferocity that the knife went through the left side of his chest, damaged his ribs, went through his lung, went through one of the arteries emerging from Mr Barnett’s heart and entered into and damaged his spinal bones.
“Having inflicted this terrible wound Paul Bodell ran away disposing of his knife as he ran.
“Within minutes Paul Barnett would be dead.”
Mr Vout said that after being stabbed Mr Barnett stumbled backwards and fell against a parked car before slumping to the floor. He was bleeding heavily but managed to make it back to his nearby flat.
People tried to help him and the emergency services were called but he passed away.
The following morning Bodell went to Skegness Police Station where he was arrested. He was later interviewed by officers on four occasions but made no comment to questions put to him.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), said: “This was a brutal attack with an unwarranted level of violence and a man’s family have been left devastated by this senseless incident.
“Had Bodell left the knife at home, the outcome would have been very different. Instead this case epitomises the dangers of carrying a knife or weapon in a public place and we will release further details of this case after Bodell has been sentenced.
“Lincolnshire Police takes any incident involving a knife or weapon extremely seriously. Should you choose to carry one, even if you don’t intend to use it, there is every chance that someone could be either seriously injured or killed.
“I would like to thank all of the witnesses who came forward to help secure this conviction and I hope this is the start of some closure for Mr Barnett’s family and the local community.”
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Marc Jones, the re-elected Conservative Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said that his work is not done, as he’s looking forward to a further three years in the role.
Mr Jones won with a 57.9% majority of the poll from the first round of counting, with 102,813 votes from a 31% turnout. A total of 177,528 votes were placed county-wide.
The nearest candidate was Labour’s Rosanne Kirk, with a 19% share of the votes, with Lincolnshire Independent David Williams securing the third spot with 10%.
The breakdown of the votes cast on Thursday, May 6, and counted on Saturday, may 8, was:
Marc Jones (Conservative) – 102,813
Rosanne Kirk (Labour) – 34,310
David Williams (Lincolnshire Independent) – 18,375
Ross Pepper (Liberal Democrats) – 10,172
Peter Escreet (Reform UK) – 6,101
Marc Jones: “More work to do”
“It’s very gratifying to have concluded today on the first count, that was a really positive thing for what I’ve delivered so far,” said Mr Jones.
“But I’m under no illusions having spoken to many around the county there’s an awful lot more work to do.”
He said he wanted to assure the public that “nothing was taken for granted”.
Rosie Kirk – Labour – 2nd place
Labour’s candidate Rosie Kirk said she was “thrilled for her party” across all three elections that had taken place in Lincolnshire this week.
“The votes that we got was incredible. Our message got through and to actually come second in a Conservative county is really great,” she said.
However, she added that there were “lots of questions that still need to be asked” and promised to keep up her scrutiny of Marc in his role.
Ross Pepper – Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrat candidate Ross Pepper said the result was not “entirely unexpected”.
However, he said he was proud of the three Liberal Democrat councillors that had won seats in the local elections at Lincolnshire County and City of Lincoln Councils.
“I’m ready to work with them for a better Lincolnshire and a better Lincoln,” he said.
“In a Conservative heavy county we did a really good job of getting the Liberal Democrat message out there… and we continue pushing that message through local campaigning in the future.”
David Williams – Lincolnshire Independents
David Williams, the Lincolnshire Independents PCC candidate congratulated Marc Jones on his victory but said it is “not a surprising outcome”.
“I’m really pleased to have run for the post, because if I hadn’t have had a go to do a job that I really would have relished then I would have looked back and regretted not having taking the opportunity.”
Peter Escreet – Reform UK
Peter Escreet, the Reform UK candidate also said the result “was as expected” but actually he was “pleasantly surprised,” saying that this is “just the start”.
“The real campaign is in three years’ time” where Mr Escreet wants to grow a majority.
Conservative Marc Jones has been re-elected to the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner role.
He won from the first round of counting with 102,813 votes from a 31% turnout.
The PCC oversees the strategy and finances of the force, and also hires and fires chief constables, who are responsible for the daily policing operations.
Mr Jones will be in the position for three years.
The breakdown of the results is:
Marc Jones (Conservative) – 102,813
Rosanne Kirk (Labour) – 34,310
Ross Pepper (Liberal Democrats) – 10,172
David Williams (Lincolnshire Independent) – 18,375
Peter Escreet (Reform UK) – 6,101
Here’s the live result announcement, the reactions and acceptance speech:
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