A scaffolder who stabbed his wife’s former lover t

A scaffolder who stabbed his wife’s former lover to death
walked free from court today (fri).

Fifty-year-old Victor Chambers sobbed into the arms of his
family as a jury cleared him of both the murder and manslaughter of
neighbour Ken Thorn.

Mr Chambers had insisted all along he acted in self-defence
when he killed Mr Thorn in front of the victim’s 16-year-old son on
July 20 last year.

He said he had grabbed a knife after hearing what sounded
like a a crowd of people outside his home.

Southwark Crown Court was told the deceased died from three
fatal stab wounds in the chest.

According to the pathologist, the knife had been plunged up
to its hilt into his heart.

Mr Chambers admitted fatally wounding Mr Thorn during a
fracas at his home at Hadrian Close, Roundshaw Estate, Wallington.

The tragic incident was witnessed by Mr Thorn’s son,
Nigel, who was unware Mr Chambers had been carrying a knife.

The court was told the teenager only discovered the chilling
truth when he was shown the stab wounds on his father’s body.

The five day trial heard Mr Thorn, 44, was the former lover
of Chambers’s common-law-wife, Pamela Halsey,43.

The couple had remained good friends and Ms Halsey had
continued to meet her ex-love at his home, also on the estate.

The jury was told Chambers and Mr Thorn had come to blows
over the affair but the situation had been smoothed over.

On the fateful night, trouble erupted when Ms Halsey
complained to Mr Thorn she had been hit by Mr Chambers.

Alarmed at seeing blood pouring from her head, Mr Thorn
rushed home remonstrate with Chambers on the telephone.

Prosecutor Michael Austin-Smith said Mr Thorn warned Chambers
that he was coming over to sort things out.

Minutes later, Mr Thorn accompanied, by his son, confronted
Mr Chambers at his home.

Mr Chambers told the court: ‘I thought I was in danger, I
was frightened – I could hear there was more than one person
outside.

‘I must have grabbed the knife from the table – I was unware
I had it in my hand.

‘
As I ran downstairs someone had punched the glass of the
door in and was trying to come in.

‘
‘Ken punched me.

I was being pounded with punches in a
corner.

‘I don’t know what happened, it was all so fast, I just
stabbed him.

‘
‘I was trying to protect myself.

‘
‘I didn’t mean to kill him.

‘
Mr Chambers said he did not realise he had killed Mr Thorn.

He alerted an ambulance and later gave himself up to police.

The court was told Mr Chambers gave a full and frank account
of what had happened to the police.

During a police interview, he expressed his remorse for the
fateful stabbing.

ends