Jon Casey: Coroner rules stab death was unlawful killing

Jon Casey died after being stabbed in Barrack Road, Northampton in 2015

A man who was stabbed to death in 2015 was unlawfully killed, a coroner said.

Jon Casey, 35, was found injured in Barrack Road, Northampton, on 16 January 2015.

Waijs Dahir, who is wanted by police in connection with the death, is thought to have left the UK the following day.

Senior coroner Anne Pember said Mr Casey was "stabbed by another person who was clearly the aggressor and who has regrettably not been brought to justice".

Northamptonshire Police is treating the death as murder, and said inquiries were "continuing in relation to locating the suspect".

A £25,000 reward was offered to help solve the case.

Siobhan Bowe said she missed her son "so very dearly"

Mr Dahir lived in Semilong Road in the town at the time and was a student at the University of Northampton.

He is thought to be in Somalia, with which UK has no formal extradition treaty.

Ms Bowe said there would always be memories of her son's smiles and laughter

The inquest into Mr Casey's death heard the victim had left his home at about 08:00 GMT on the day he died.

His partner said she "knew he would be going to get drugs as he couldn't manage without".

When he did not return later in the afternoon she became concerned and "thought he may be in trouble".

The inquest heard the father-of-two had been involved in an altercation with a man on the day he died.

Witnesses said they saw "a white guy being attacked by a black guy".

"I think the white guy was probably trying to escape from the black guy but he was not fast enough," one witness said.

"The black guy had a black item in his hand and appeared to be punching him.

"He hit him between six and seven times. He was punching wildly.

"The white guy wanted to get away and keep his head down. He was terrified.

"He looked very scared."

'Lack of closure'

A forensic pathologist said Mr Casey sustained three stab wounds - one on the left side of his back, one to his abdomen and one on the right side of his chest.

She concluded his cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.

In a statement, Mr Casey's family said his death would "always be incredibly painful".

"The lack of closure and answers after six years can sometimes be unbearable," they said.

Senior coroner Ms Pember said she was "very sorry" the case had taken so long to be heard.

"During the several years since Jon died the police have been trying to get a suspect without any avail and in these circumstances rather than wait I thought it was appropriate to hold this inquest now," she said.

"I am truly very sorry for your loss."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]