Ian Kirwan: Boy guilty of Redditch Asda stabbing murder

Ian Kirwan was a software engineer contractor for Jaguar Land Rover

A 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering a man stabbed to death outside an Asda supermarket.

Ian Kirwan, 53, was attacked at the store in Redditch, Worcestershire, on 8 March after challenging teenagers for messing about in the customer toilets.

Two youths aged 14 and one of 16 were cleared of killing Mr Kirwan, but were found guilty of violent disorder. A fifth, 16, was cleared on all counts.

The jury heard the killer was part of a masked gang that "terrorised" people.

None of the four boys can be legally identified because of their ages and are due to be sentenced on 15 February.

Mr Kirwan, an artificial intelligence engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, in Coventry, died after being stabbed in the heart.

Birmingham Crown Court was told he had gone to Redditch to buy a light switch from B&Q and had simply used the toilets at Asda.

Mr Kirwan's wife paid tribute to him in a statement released following the verdict, describing him as "a big kid" and adding she would never recover from his death.

The killer, from Birmingham, aged 14 at the time, had travelled with other youths by train to the town on the day and subjected Mr Kirwan to a minute-long attack near the entrance to the store.

He had admitted the stabbing, but claimed diminished responsibility. However, jurors unanimously convicted him of murder.

Mr Kirwan was an "unfortunate member of the public in the wrong place at the wrong time", the court was told during the 10-week trial.

The fifth defendant was acquitted of murder, manslaughter and violent disorder, having claimed he was not involved in the fatal confrontation and could not have predicted it.

High Court judge Mr Justice Fraser told the 15-year-old who was convicted of murder he was "going to be sentenced to the youth equivalent of a life sentence".

"But I am not going to pass that sentence [now] because I have to fix the minimum term. I am going to do that on the 15th of February."

A statement by Mr Kirwan's family said he was passionate about the world, peace and education

The youth, who appeared via a video-link from a secure unit, showed little reaction as the jury returned its guilty verdict, glancing to his left and then at a floor, before watching other verdicts being returned.

Turning to Mr Kirwan's wife and family in court, the judge said: "The court is well aware none of this process can bring him back or reduce the impact of his loss on all of your lives."

Mr Kirwan's wife said after the verdicts: "Normally when a person dies, they are surrounded by loved ones and family. But because of the tragic circumstances of Ian's death, he died alone surrounded by strangers who were kind enough to help him.

"Nobody should ever have to die like that."

'He gave people chances'

She described her husband as "a wonderful person who was full of love, kindness and generosity".

"I miss his ways that would drive me crazy but he always made me and our family and friends happy and there was never a day that we wouldn't laugh when he was with us.

"Ian would always make us feel protected, secure and safe.

"Ian was the better half in our relationship. He gave people chances, was a fountain of knowledge and was passionate about the world, peace, politics, animals, health and education."

Family friend Joe Fitzpatrick, 75, described him as "the nicest man you could ever meet".

"He'd help anybody out. My son, who has a car business, had problems with his computers and he went [and] sorted that out and wouldn't take a penny for it, just a lovely guy."

Joe Fitzpatrick described Mr Kirwan as "the nicest man you could ever meet"

Det Supt Leighton Harding, senior investigating officer for West Mercia Police, said it had been "an appalling attack on an innocent man going about his daily life".

"I'm pleased that justice has been done today for Ian and our thoughts remain with his family and friends, who have shown incredible strength throughout the investigation and the trial."

He said the force had had an "incredible" response to its appeals after the murder, which led to critical information being gathered and convictions being secured in an "incredibly complex" case.

Peter Martin, an anti-crime campaigner in Redditch, said the killing had had a huge impact on the local community and witnesses had been offered free counselling.

"This was just a guy, just going shopping - so the impact on the community was massive," he said.

'Looking for trouble'

Many local residents had been affected, he added, particularly other shoppers who had witnessed the stabbing.

Lucy Myatt, from the Crown Prosecution Service, described it as a "senseless" murder but the defendant "went out looking for trouble".

"This encounter cost a man his life and no outcome can replace the terrible loss his family has suffered," she said.

"I hope the outcome of today's hearing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of carrying and using a knife."