Pensioner, 83, GUILTY of murder after stabbing nephew to death and torching home in £20k inheritance row

A PENSIONER has been found guilty of murder after he stabbed his nephew to death and torched a home in a £20,000 inheritance row.

Alan Wotton, 83, knifed Andrew Avery 11 times after accusing him of “stealing” money from his sister’s inheritance.

Wotton believed his 65-year-old nephew was deliberately withholding £20,000 that his late sister – Andrew’s mum – had left for him.

He has now been found guilty of murder following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The pensioner previously pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered.

Jurors heard had been staying at sister June’s home in Gosport, Hampshire, following her death but Andrew bought his uncle a flat in the town so he could move out.

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“At the time of his death, Mr Avery was 65 and Mr Avery died as a result of multiple stab wounds.

“In total, there were seven stab wounds to his torso and four more to his left leg, so 11 stab wounds in total and there’s no dispute that Mr Wotton caused those wounds.”

The court was told Wotton claims he acted in “self defence”, but the prosecution said he was the “aggressor and the attacker”.

Ms Mittell said following June’s death in 2023, Andrew and her grandson James became executors of her will and decided to sell her home.

But Wotton, who travelled to the UK from Hungary for the funeral, then moved into his late sister’s house.

Jurors heard after the home was sold in November 2024, the decision was made by Andrew to send his uncle to live somewhere else.

John Portlock, Andrew’s husband, told the court he lent £84,000 to his partner to buy a flat that Wotton could move to.

Andrew spent about £40,000 of his own money on the flat which would be bought in his own name.

Wotton was due to move out of June’s house on the day of the murder, jurors were told.

Ms Mittell said: “His nephew hadn’t just given him his marching orders, though.

“To the contrary, Mr Avery had made a considerable number of arrangements that would allow his uncle to move to a flat in Stoke Road in Gosport.

“On 29 November 2024, Mr Wotton was due to move out and his nephew went to Exmouth Road to assist him.

“The motive [for the murder] appears to be a reluctance on Mr Wotton’s part to depart his sister’s address, and/or him feeling aggrieved about the financial transactions assisted with that move and him feeling his nephew was stealing his inheritance money.”

The court heard Wotton later told police that his sister had left him £20,000 in her will and felt his nephew was trying to steal from him.

He claimed Andrew had gone into the kitchen and grabbed a knife but was “not man enough” to stab him.

Wotton also told police he had “hit him in the mouth, taken his knife off him and finished him”, the court heard.

He added: “I turned it on him, the b*****d.”

When asked if he intended to kill his nephew, he said: “Probably, yeah.”

Wotton will be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on October 22.

Simon Clark, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Alan Wotton carried out a ruthless attack on his nephew before setting fire to the property.

“The prosecution case drew together compelling witness accounts, forensic evidence and admissions made by Wotton himself in the immediate aftermath of the murder.