Man jailed for life for murder of Swindon man
41 year-old Neil Bambrick was stabbed in Broad Street on July 11 last year.
A man's been jailed for life with a minimum of 17-and-a-half years after being found guilty of the murder of a Swindon man.
44 year-old Vincent Sparkes, of Station Road, Swindon, was found guilty of the murder of Neil Bambrick, 41, who died after being stabbed in Broad Street on July 11 last year.
Around 8.55pm on July 11, Sparkes and Mr Bambrick were involved in an altercation in the street when Sparkes headbutted Mr Bambrick before pulling out a knife and stabbing him.
Mr Bambrick, who was not carrying a weapon, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries - where he died the following morning.
Sparkes pleaded guilty to manslaughter, claiming the fatal wound was an accident. However, the jury rejected this and found him guilty of murder.
In a statement following the verdict, Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Phil Walker said: “Firstly, I’d like to offer my condolences to Neil’s family and pay tribute to them for their conduct during the investigation and court process – I hope this verdict brings some comfort to them.
“This case again shows the tragic consequences of carrying a knife.
“In his interview, Vincent Sparkes described using the knife he was carrying in ‘the heat of the moment’ during an argument.
“Sadly, this split-second decision has cost Neil his life and it demonstrates that had Sparkes not made the decision to carry the knife in the first place, this argument would never have led to Neil’s death.
“Simply put, Neil would still be alive if Sparkes did not have a knife that day.
“The verdict comes during a week of activities around ‘Sceptre’ – which is a national knife crime initiative focusing on the reduction of knife crime.
“If you are considering carrying a knife, please think about the potentially life-long consequences of your actions.”