Exclusive:Trial of Gosport pensioner accused of murder nears conclusion as he refuses to give evidence
Alan Wotton, 83 of Exmouth Road, Gosport, has denied the murder of Andrew Avery
A murder trial sparked by a man dying in his own home is nearing its conclusion.
Alan Wotton, 83 of Exmouth Road, Gosport, is accused of murdering his nephew, Andrew Avery, and has been charged with one count of murder and an alternative count of manslaughter. He denies the charges, saying he acted in self-defence.
Mr Avery died after being seriously assaulted at his home in Exmouth Road on November 29, 2024. The house was also set on fire, with Wotton pleading guilty to one count of arson.
Wotton has refused to take to the stand and give evidence, the jury has been told, and so all that’s left is for the proseuction, defence, and Judge Michael Bowes KC to conclude the case, before the jury retires to consider its verdict.
The crux of the trial has been whether Wotton had "genuine intent" to end his nephew's life. When arrested, he told police he stabbed Mr Avery to "shut him up" and that he "probably" did mean to kill him at some point in the attack.
Mr Avery suffered a total of 11 stab wounds, with Wotton's account being that amid an ongoing dispute over inheritance, he came into the living room with a kitchen knife; Wotton "turned it on him" in a fight, he told authorities, before trying to burn down the house that had belonged to his late sister.
Wotton, who was assessed by two independent psychiatrists, has been diagnosed with a delusional disorder, meaning his sense of reality is "distorted". Dr Oliver White told the jury that his disorder centres around a belief that people think he is a paedophile, following a suggested incident while he was living in Hungary.
Wotton has never been arrested, charged or convicted of any sexual offences, and psychologists have suggested his beliefs are unfounded - including his idea that Mr Avery found out about these rumours, and told other people in both Gosport and HMP Lewes, where Wotton was kept in custody after being charged.
The defendant's solicitors have argued that if the jury cannot align with Wotton's argument of self-defence, they should consider a verdict with diminished responsibility, based on Wotton's delusional disorder.
(Proceeding)