Overview
- A jury at Nottingham Crown Court returned a guilty verdict for manslaughter and an acquittal for murder after almost four days of deliberation on Friday.
- The victim, 20-year-old Marley Gascoine, died from a single chest stab wound that punctured his heart in the St Ann's underpass on 10 November last year.
- The defendant, 20-year-old Matthew Smith, told the court that Gascoine pulled out the knife and lunged at him while the prosecution said Smith produced the weapon, fled the scene and later disposed of the knife and his clothing.
- Prosecutors told jurors the men and others knew each other and were linked to drug dealing and suggested an alleged £6,000 debt as a possible motive.
- The case highlights concerns about youths and knife violence in Nottingham and leaves families waiting for a sentence on 7 September that will reflect a pre-sentence report ordered because of the defendant’s age.