Man convicted of manslaughter of 18-year-old in Bournemouth after retrial
20-year-old Thomas Betteridge will be sentenced in May
A man who fatally stabbed an 18-year-old in Bournemouth town centre has been found guilty for the second time of manslaughter after his original conviction was overturned on appeal.
Thomas Betteridge, aged 20 and of Bournemouth, was convicted by a jury today (February 4th) of manslaughter and possessing a bladed article in a public place in relation to the fatal stabbing of Cameron Hamilton in the early hours of August 5, 2023.
He was previously convicted of manslaughter in March 2024, however the conviction was overturned, leading to the retrial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Betteridge, of Southsea, Hampshire, was jailed for nine years in April 2024 but will be sentenced again in May, following the retrial verdicts.
At around 1.25am on Saturday 5 August 2023 officers in the town were made aware of an altercation taking place in the area of The Square.
It was subsequently reported that a man had sustained a suspected stab wound.
Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics Cameron was pronounced dead at the scene.
Betteridge was located in the town centre that night, where he was arrested and following an investigation he was subsequently charged with murder.
John Price KC, prosecuting, told the retrial that during the incident, Betteridge had been pushed into a bush by Mr Hamilton before the defendant then stabbed him.
He said the defendant then ran away, leaving a trainer behind at the scene, along with a second teenager.
The prosecutor said that Betteridge was heard by a witness to say: "I sliced him up, I sliced him up" and added that he had spoken the words "almost in a boastful and proud manner" and said that he was "laughing a little bit".
He said that the second teenager also "let out a childish giggle".
Mr Price said that Betteridge then changed top and trainers with friends at the scene before he was stopped by police.
He said that Betteridge expressed "righteous indignation" at being stopped and searched by police, and filmed the officers using his mobile phone before posting the video on Instagram.
Mr Price said that Betteridge claimed that he acted in self-defence during the fatal incident, and stated it was something he regretted but "had to do as he believed it to be necessary to defend himself".
He added: "It's to be noted that the first thing that Mr Betteridge had done after the killing was to brag about it and the next thing he did in less than three minutes was to try and change his appearance."
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third, of MCIT, said: “I hope this conviction offers some comfort to Cameron’s family, who have continued to conduct themselves in a dignified and supportive manner throughout the further court process they have had to endure.
“Despite the unimaginable grief they will have experienced at losing their loved one at such a young age, they have continued to campaign to raise awareness of the tragic consequences of knife crime and made a real difference in the local community through their Changes Are Made charity.
“We will continue to support them and work with all our partners to raise awareness of knife crime and take robust action against offenders.
“I also want to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and my investigation team, as well as all those others across the Force who have helped to secure this conviction.
“It is also important to acknowledge the efforts of officers who responded on the night, who were on the scene within moments of the fatal stabbing and were with Cameron in his final moments.”
Mr Hamilton's family previously said in a statement: "Cam was loved by all that had the pleasure of knowing him. He was a loving and caring, intelligent, polite young man with his whole life ahead of him. He is missed so much by us all."