Teenager fatally stabbed man, 79, in heart, court hears

Gerald Wickes died from a single stab wound through the heart

A teenager "calmly" walked into a family's home and stabbed a 79-year-old man to death, a court has heard.

Gerald Wickes suffered a fatal wound to his heart when he was attacked while visiting his ex-wife and son, in Leicester, in February 2023.

Leicester Crown Court heard Daniel Rounce killed the grandfather within 90 seconds of entering the house, in Queens Park Way, Eyres Monsell, through an unlocked door.

Mr Rounce, 18, has denied murder.

Steven Bailey, prosecuting, said: "He [Mr Rounce] walked calmly into [the house] and within a minute and a half, had stabbed Gerald Wickes through the diaphragm and the heart and then left, leaving him to die."

Mr Bailey told jurors Mr Rounce fled the scene, pursued briefly by Mr Wickes's son Garry, before being arrested nearly seven hours later by police.

Mr Rounce was arrested three miles from the scene of the attack in Queens Park Way

On Tuesday, the jury was played CCTV, which, the prosecution say, shows Mr Rounce pacing around the streets near the scene of the attack, on 22 February, in the 40 minutes leading up to it.

The prosecution say the footage showed Mr Rounce "scoping out" the area and "psyching himself up" before he struck.

Mr Bailey said it showed the defendant carrying two bags and wearing a distinctive motorcycle helmet, which he removed and "stashed" nearby before the attack.

Police later recovered two bags in woodland near Queens Park Way as well as a knife, with a 19.5cm (7.6in) blade, with Mr Wickes's blood on it, the court heard.

Mr Bailey told the court police later stopped the defendant, three miles (4.8km) away, in Aylestone Road, wearing a motorbike helmet.

The jury heard Mr Rounce struggled with officers as they arrested him.

Blood found on a glove, taken from Mr Rounce, matched to Mr Wickes's DNA, the court was told.

Mr Rounce, who was 17 at the time and living in Markfield, near Leicester, has also denied a charge of possessing a bladed article in a public place.

The trial continues.