Man guilty of killing his sister's ex in Stockport
Liam Fosbrook repeatedly stabbed Dylan Towers just before Christmas 2021
A Wythenshawe man has today been found guilty of the manslaughter of his sister’s ex-partner in Stockport in December 2021.
Liam Fosbrook, 29, was at his sister’s home in Stockport on 17 December, when her ex-partner Dylan Towers, 35, turned up uninvited and entered the front and back garden.
Fosbrook armed himself with two kitchen knives and went outside to confront Mr Towers. During the confrontation, Mr Towers was stabbed multiple times to the neck and chest.
Fosbrook did nothing to assist Mr Towers as he lay seriously injured, as he returned inside the house.
He discarded a knife under the Christmas tree. The second knife was found in a neighbour’s garden. Both knives contained Mr Tower’s DNA.
Neighbours contacted the police who arrived a short time later and arrested Fosbrook.
Mr Towers was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital and en route suffered a cardiac arrest. At the hospital he had emergency surgery for his wounds.
Whilst on life support, he suffered further cardiac arrests and a haemorrhage. Treatment was withdrawn and he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on 30 December, 12 days after the attack.
In police interview Fosbrook claimed he had acted in self defence
He said he feared for both his and sister’s safety due to Mr Tower’s persistence in returning repeatedly to the address despite police warnings.
During the trial the prosecution team highlighted that on this occasion, instead of seeking police assistance, Fosbrook took matters into his own hands and armed himself against an unarmed man who was significantly smaller than him. His actions went beyond self-defence. He may have meant to scare Mr Towers or cause him some harm, but he subsequently caused him serious harm which resulted in his death.
Following a two-week trial he was found guilty of manslaughter
Sentencing will take place on 3 April 2024.
Sazeeda Ismail, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: “Liam Fosbrook carried out a knife attack on his sister’s ex-partner, who was unarmed, and then made no attempt to help him afterwards.
“He could have contacted the police instead of confronting him. He could have simply spoken to him. But in a misguided act to defend his sister, he made the choice to arm himself with not one but two knives and, during the confrontation, to stab him.
“Today the jury rejected Fosbrook’s claims that he was acting in self-defence and found him guilty of manslaughter.
“The CPS is committed to securing justice for those who partake in such needless violence and take matters into their own hands instead of contacting the Police. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Towers at this time.”