MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE MURDER OF A YOUTH FOUND LYIN

MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE MURDER OF A YOUTH FOUND LYING IN A

GUTTER AFTER A MAN WAS CLEARED OF THE KILLING AT THE OLD BAILEY ON

THURSDAY.

THE COURT HEARD FACTORY LABOURER GAVIN SMYTH, 18, WAS FOUND

IN UPPER GROVE, SOUTH NORWOOD, WITH FATAL STAB WOUNDS.

HIS BODY WAS ONLY A HUNDRED YARDS FROM A LOCK-UP GARAGE

WHICH HIS WORKMATE ANTHONY JEWHURST RENTED.

JEWHURST WAS TODAY ACQUITTED OF MURDER.

HE HAD DENIED THE

CHARGE AND SAID HE WAS AT WORK AT THE TIME OF THE STABBING.

AT NO TIME DID HE ADMIT MURDER TO THE POLICE.

THE COURT HEARD IT WAS JEWHURST’S SECRET LIFE AS A

HOMOSEXUAL WHICH FIRST AROUSED POLICE SUSPICIONS.

‘HE HID HIS CONNECTION’ WITH THE GARAGE WHEN INTERVIEWED BY

POLICE, SAID MR RICHARD HAWKINS, PROSECUTING.

IN COURT, JEWHURST EXPLAINED HIS EVASIVENESS WITH THE

POLICE BY SAYING HE WAS TRYING TO COVER UP HIS HOMOSEXUALITY.

HE ALSO ADMITTED HAVING TAKEN THE VICTIM TO THE GARAGE ONLY

FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE MURDER TO SHOW HIM SOME SPEAKERS WHICH THE

VICTIM WAS INTERESTED IN BUYING.

BLOOD STAINS FOUND IN THE GARAGE MATCHED SMYTH’S BLOOD TYPE

BUT MEDICAL EVIDENCE SHOWED THE BLOOD GROUP WAS EXTREMELY COMMON.

JEWHURST INSISTED IN COURT THE BLOOD WAS ON THE WALLS OF

THE GARAGE BEFORE HE RENTED IT IN SEPTEMBER 1985.

THE COURT HEARED MR SMYTH, OF RUDLOE ROAD, BALHAM, WAS

REPEATEDLY STABBED AND BLED TO DEATH IN A GUTTER IN UPPER GROVE ON

JULY 30, 1986.

JEWHURST, 36, OF SELHURST ROAD, SOUTH NORWOOD, WAS A

SUPERVISOR AT THE REPLICA PLASTICS FACTORY IN BALHAM WHERE MR SMYTH

WORKED.

ENDS.