Man cleared of murdering best friend on Boxing Day

Luke Miller died after he was fatally stabbed in Tadcaster on 26 December

A man has been cleared of murdering his best friend in a street altercation.

Luke Miller, 23, died after he was stabbed in the chest on Commercial Street in Tadcaster in the early hours of Boxing Day 2023.

Taylor Fenwick, 22, who had invited Mr Miller to his flat, was found not guilty of murder by a jury at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.

He was not convicted of any lesser charges and so was discharged from custody.

Mr Fenwick had denied the murder of his friend, who had attended Tadcaster Grammar School with him.

Prosecutor David Brooke KC told jurors during the trial that an argument had broken out after a group of friends gathered in the Mr Fenwick's flat above a Costcutter store after visiting the Broken Bridge pub.

The prosecution said Mr Fenwick and Mr Miller went into the street and became involved in a struggle over a knife.

This resulted in Mr Miller falling to the ground after a stab wound in the chest perforated an artery.

Mr Fenwick had argued that he had been trying to "intimidate" Mr Miller after asking him to leave the flat because of his behaviour.

Shortly after the incident, Mr Miller's parents said in a statement that their world was "torn apart".

They said: "There are no words that can truly describe the utter devastation that we, as a family, feel following the loss of our beloved son Luke.

"Our hearts are shattered and our world has been torn apart, but Luke will remain in our hearts forever and always."

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