Man, 81, stabbed nephew 11 times, murder trial told

An 81-year-old man stabbed his nephew 11 times and then started a fire to cover up the murder, a court has heard.

Firefighters found Andrew Avery, 65, lying in a smoke-filled house in Gosport, Hampshire, in November 2024.

Defendant Alan Wotton, who was living in the property which Avery was trying to sell, told the officers his nephew had attacked him with the knife after a dispute over an inheritance, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

Wotton, who is now aged 83, denies the murder charge.

Emergency services were called to the address in Exmouth Road shortly after 17:00 GMT on 29 November.

Fire officer Amanda Holloway found Avery lying near a chair where Wotton had started the fire, the jury was told.

The defendant told her Avery had "gone at me with a knife so I turned it on him", she said in a statement read out in court.

"He said his nephew was trying to steal his money... about £19,000."

The victim, from Gosport, suffered stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and leg, the jury heard.

Wotton had been living in his sister's house for about a year following her death, the court was told.

On 29 November, Avery arrived to move him to a new flat he had helped to organise in Gosport, the jury heard.

Family friend Martin Warman, who called at the house in the afternoon, said Wotton answered the door in a "shocking" manner.

"He opened the door suddenly... Just stared at me, didn't say anything," he told the court.

"I sensed an atmosphere. It was frosty and things felt on edge... They weren't talking to each other."

He said Avery had previously texted that his uncle was "not in a hurry to budge" and was "dragging his heels" that day.

Avery, who was his mother's executor, previously gave the defendant £1,000 out of a £20,000 inheritance, leaving £19,000 left to pay, the court heard.

The victim's brother, Colin Avery, told the jury he understood further payments were postponed so that Wotton could quality for housing benefit.

"Andy told me [Wotton] asked weeks earlier for another £1,000 and my brother refused to give it to him because there wasn't enough money left in the pot," he told the jury.

"Alan said my brother offered to put it [Wotton's inheritance] in a high interest account in my brother's name," the witness added.

Wotton "wasn't happy with the idea", the court heard.

The trial continues.