Five Men Convicted of Manslaughter in Ian Staves’ Death

A manslaughter conviction has been secured against five individuals following the strangulation death of a man within his residence. Ian Staves’ body was discovered at his Cherry Lane home in Wootton, North Lincolnshire, on September 12, 2022, with his death having occurred the preceding evening. Dr. Christopher Johnson, a forensic pathologist, testified at Bradford Crown Court, stating that substantial evidence indicated Mr. Staves’ neck had been “forcibly compressed.” A verdict on the manslaughter charge for a sixth defendant remains outstanding from the jury. Following a four-week trial, a jury acquitted Nicholas James St Clair, residing at Castle Grove, Hull; Aaron Windas, of Anlaby Road, Hull; Celestino Furtado, of Waterloo Street, Hull; Jamie Smith, from Skippindale Road, Scunthorpe; and Patrick Joseph Smith, who has no fixed address, of murder, but found them guilty of manslaughter. Bobby Gibson, of Woodcock Street, Hull, was similarly acquitted of murder; however, the jury continues its deliberations regarding the manslaughter charge pertaining to him. Patrick Smith and Jamie Smith, two of the accused, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle, and the jury subsequently delivered guilty verdicts for this same charge against the remaining four defendants. Prosecutor Tom Storey KC informed the court earlier that prior to the fatal incident, the defendants had communicated extensively and conducted a “reconnaissance trip” to Mr. Staves’ residence. Surveillance footage later showed three men at the property, while a fourth individual was observed entering the driveway of an adjacent residence. The jury was informed that Mr. Staves used cocaine and was subject to a police investigation concerning his involvement with controlled drugs at the time of his demise. “Whatever lay behind the attack, nothing justifies what happened to Mr Staves,” Mr. Storey stated to the court. The date for sentencing has not yet been determined.