After an argument over drugs suddenly spilled over into violence, Carl Dixon was punched and kicked, brayed with a pair of blunted garden shears and finally stabbed with a knife several times in the back and in the front of his chest. Dr. Charles Wilson determined the cause of death to have been those multiple stab wounds, one of which had pierced the heart and was likely to have brought about Mr. Dixon’s collapse and death sooner than the others. In spite of the emergency services taking every possible measure to revive him, he died at the scene.
When questioned initially by the police, the defendants exercised their right to remain silent. As time went on, both were to admit presence but to assert that they had acted in self defence. Each went on to blame the other for the use of the knife. On those bases, each pleaded not guilty.
Nicky was instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service to lead Andrew Bailey of St. John’s Buildings in a trial which took place before Her Honour Judge Sarah Wright and a jury sitting at Sheffield Crown Court in March 2024. The first named defendant was found guilty of murder, the second of manslaughter. They were sentenced on Maundy Thursday when Her Honour also commended the work of specified members of Team 1 of South Yorkshire Police’s Major Crime Unit. Prosecuting counsel had their own reasons to be grateful to the Team for its assiduous work, together with that of the CPS.