Tweet
sad story,tell me what you think????
A "good neighbour" who stabbed a man he caught urinating through his letterbox on a yob-plagued estate has been jailed for five years after admitting manslaughter.
Michael Williams, 53, "just flipped" after he caught father-of-one Anthony Kershaw, 25, high on drink and drugs, defiling his property.
The householder, who lived alone, had already suffered the same attack previously, and had paint thrown on his door, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Residents were too frightened to go out at night because of a gang of teenagers terrorising the sprawling Smallbridge council estate in Rochdale, it was said.
Williams, described by neighbours as "pleasant, friendly and keeps himself to himself" heard a bang on the front door of his ground-floor flat on the night of April 19, as if someone was kicking at it to break in. He went to investigate, to see urine pouring through his letterbox, he told police.
Angry he went to his kitchen, grabbed a knife with a seven-inch blade and as Mr Kershaw urinated, swung open the door and in a "momentary intention" stabbed his victim in the stomach.
He then closed the door and dialled 999 as friends of Mr Kershaw tried to attack Williams, smashing his windows and threatening to "burn him alive" by torching the property. Mr Kershaw died the next day in hospital from the knife wound to his stomach.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Keith said: "I take into account that this was a frightening and intimidating estate to live on and I have noted the violence, abuse and other anti-social behaviour which you and other people on your estate have been subjected to over the years.
"You were responsible for his death, however drunk and high he was and however badly he was behaving that night."
Mr Kershaw's mother, Debbie Alger, in a tribute to her son after his death described him as "always a jack-the-lad and loved by many". Mr Kershaw had a young son, Stevie-Lee, with his girlfriend Natalie.
A "good neighbour" who stabbed a man he caught urinating through his letterbox on a yob-plagued estate has been jailed for five years after admitting manslaughter.
Michael Williams, 53, "just flipped" after he caught father-of-one Anthony Kershaw, 25, high on drink and drugs, defiling his property.
The householder, who lived alone, had already suffered the same attack previously, and had paint thrown on his door, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Residents were too frightened to go out at night because of a gang of teenagers terrorising the sprawling Smallbridge council estate in Rochdale, it was said.
Williams, described by neighbours as "pleasant, friendly and keeps himself to himself" heard a bang on the front door of his ground-floor flat on the night of April 19, as if someone was kicking at it to break in. He went to investigate, to see urine pouring through his letterbox, he told police.
Angry he went to his kitchen, grabbed a knife with a seven-inch blade and as Mr Kershaw urinated, swung open the door and in a "momentary intention" stabbed his victim in the stomach.
He then closed the door and dialled 999 as friends of Mr Kershaw tried to attack Williams, smashing his windows and threatening to "burn him alive" by torching the property. Mr Kershaw died the next day in hospital from the knife wound to his stomach.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Keith said: "I take into account that this was a frightening and intimidating estate to live on and I have noted the violence, abuse and other anti-social behaviour which you and other people on your estate have been subjected to over the years.
"You were responsible for his death, however drunk and high he was and however badly he was behaving that night."
Mr Kershaw's mother, Debbie Alger, in a tribute to her son after his death described him as "always a jack-the-lad and loved by many". Mr Kershaw had a young son, Stevie-Lee, with his girlfriend Natalie.
Comment