A MAN was stabbed to death after he flew into a rage over one of his eyebrows being shaved off as he slept during a drunken prank.
David Eaton, 37, angrily turned on close friend Matthew Higgins after he woke up to find his left brow missing. Higgins, 36, who had carried out the “joke”, tried to pin the blame on another friend but when Eaton found out they ended up fighting.
During the fight in Rudheath, near Northwich, Cheshire, Higgins grabbed a knife from a kitchen block then stabbed Eaton twice in the heart. He then ran to neighbours with blood on his hands saying: “I’ve stabbed my mate. He was doing my head in.” Police and paramedics dashed to the scene but Eaton died of his wounds.
Higgins was found guilty of murder following a trial at Chester crown court. He admitted stabbing Eaton but claimed it was in self defence. The tragedy occurred in September last year after the two friends had spent the previous day together on a drinking binge. Dad-of-one Eaton who was nicknamed “Bode” fell asleep in a drunken stupor on a sofa at Higgins’ house but woke up to find his eyebrow had been shaved off.
Richard Littler KC prosecuting said: “Mr Eaton confronted Mr Higgins about his eyebrow and a scuffle broke out in which Mr Eaton ‘got the better of’ Mr Higgins. It seems Mr Higgins went down to the floor and Mr Eaton punched and kicked him on the floor, while wearing sliders. This brawl was over in seconds but they appeared to brush themselves off and continue their day.”
The court heard Higgins falsely pointed the finger at another friend Wayne Webb and Eaton stormed round to his house to confront him. But Webb swore ‘on his mother’s life’ he had no idea what the victim was talking about and Eaton realised it must have been Higgins.
That afternoon Eaton returned to Higgins’ house with on-off girlfriend Emma Deed, 41, where a further fight broke out. Ms Deed told the hearing: “Bode punched Matty who then said ‘’I’m not putting up with this’. I thought Matty went upstairs but Bode then went to the hallway and there was a bit of an argument.
“I heard Bode shout ‘knife’ then ‘you’ve actually stabbed me. Emma he’s stabbed me’. I asked Matty to let go of the knife, but he refused, saying ‘No, he’s not hitting me again’. I then heard Bode say ‘I’m sorry’, before he slumped over. I was in a daze and I was screaming out to the neighbours. I was saying to Bode ‘stay with us, you’re alright, you’re fine, you’re alright’.”
Eaton suffered two wounds which penetrated his ribcage and entered his heart. Both wounds were between 12 and 14.5cm deep. As Higgins was being detained he said: “F*****g hell, this is a bit of excitement isn’t it.” He later claimed Eaton had fallen on the knife and expressed his disbelief at being arrested for murder, describing it as a “f*****g shambles”.
The court heard he became aggressive while in custody and headbutted an officer. Several other officers were required to bring him under control. Mr Littler said: “He told a continuing lie to save himself. He wanted to remind the police David Eaton had booted him in the head earlier in the day because he had shaved off his eyebrow. He tells the police how gutted he is his friend is dead. He told the police he had been attacked earlier in the day but there is no mention of him hurting David Eaton. He said it was an accident and he tried his level best to save his life. But stabbing an unarmed man multiple times with a kitchen knife is not an example of a man using reasonable force.”
During the trial Higgins – who will be sentenced next week – claimed he was “scared” of Eaton. He said had picked up the kitchen knife in the lounge, before Eaton pushed him into the hallway. He told the jury: “He pushed me into a seat and I stabbed him. He said ‘You best give me the knife’ and I stabbed him again. I was scared of him.”
After the case Eaton’s family said: “Regardless of the verdict, what happened has changed our lives forever. It has been a distressing and emotional few weeks. We have lost a son, brother, dad and nephew and nothing can change the devastation caused to our family.”
Det Insp Eleanor Atkinson, of Cheshire Police, said: “This was a senseless crime which could easily have been avoided. Higgins let his anger after an argument get the better of him, foolishly choosing to pick up a knife – with devastating consequences.
“Despite his admissions at the scene which were heard by multiple witnesses, Higgins refused to accept responsibility for David’s death and put his family through the ordeal of a trial. I hope the fact that Higgins has now been held accountable for his death will help to bring some closure to his friends and family.”
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