A man who stabbed his neighbour to death in a “cold-blooded” attack told police after his arrest that “killing people is not always a bad thing”.
Jamie Crosbie, a 48-year-old described as “an extremely violent man who has no place in society”, was found guilty of murder on Thursday at Norwich Crown Court, after he became enraged by the sound of a revving motorbike engine and stabbed his neighbour 17 times.
Police officers arrived at Primrose Crescent, in Thorpe St Andrew, on the evening of 14 April to a scene of “carnage”, with four people covered in blood and seriously injured following an initially verbal dispute during which Crosbie armed himself with a knife and a saw.
Dean Allsop, 41, and his teenage son had been working on their motorbikes outside when Crosbie went to his window and began making hand gestures, having been annoyed by the youngster revving one of the bikes.
A verbal argument in the street then escalated further when Crosbie armed himself with the two weapons, which prompted Mr Allsop to dial 999. He told the call handler that he was being threatened by his neighbour who had a knife and that he was scared.
During the call, Mr Allsop could be heard telling his son to go inside and shortly afterwards he was attacked by Crosbie and stabbed multiple times.
His son then went home and armed himself with a knife before returning to the garages to help his father, only to find him seriously injured and covered in blood. Crosbie then tried to attack Mr Allsop’s son, who retaliated, leaving Crosbie with injuries to his head and hand.
The teenager returned home again and raised the alarm with his mother, while Crosbie went back to his own home, returning a few minutes later to the scene where Mr Allsop had collapsed and was lying face-down and motionless on the ground.
Crosbie stabbed Mr Allsop again in the back before turning on the 41-year-old’s partner Louise Newell – who was stabbed in the chest and suffered a deep cut to her head – and another female neighbour, in her 50s, who suffered a serious stab wound to the neck after coming out of her home to help.
Officers arrived at the scene seven minutes after the 999 call was made to find people screaming and four covered in blood and seriously injured. Despite receiving treatment, Mr Allsop, a father-of-three, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination established that he died from a stab wound to the chest.
Crosbie was arrested at the scene, initially on suspicion of assault and then later for murder. After being cautioned, he told officers: “That’s a good thing, I’m very happy about that, killing people is not always a bad thing”.
After receiving hospital treatment, Crosbie was taken to police custody for questioning and was charged on 17 April with murder and two counts of grievous bodily harm. Two counts of attempted murder were later added to the indictment.
He had denied all charges, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter by diminished responsibility, which the prosecution did not accept.
Following a three-week trial, a jury found Crosbie guilty of Mr Allsop’s murder. They found him not guilty of the two counts of attempted murder, but instead guilty of wounding with intent.
The court heard that Crosbie and Mr Allsop had been involved in a previous dispute about a bin, which led to a verbal argument between the pair during which Crosbie also armed himself with a knife and a saw, and threw a hammer at Mr Allsop’s house.
The incident was investigated at the time and Crosbie was convicted of weapons and criminal damage offences and given a suspended prison sentence.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Phill Gray welcomed the verdict, calling it a “cold-blooded attack by a man intent on causing extreme harm to others”.
“Dean suffered 17 stab wounds to his body, some of which were inflicted when he was lying face-down and motionless,” he said. “Crosbie’s savage attack didn’t stop there; he stabbed two people who had come to help Dean, one suffering an arterial bleed to her neck.
“Crosbie is an extremely violent man who has no place in society, and we welcome the jury’s verdict today. The incident that fatal night has striking similarities to a previous incident in 2018 where he threatened Dean with a knife and hammer.
“Above all, our thoughts remain with Dean’s family and friends who continue to grieve his loss. It’s seeking answers and the truth for families which drives us to carry out thorough investigations and get positive results like the one today.
“In reality we know it offers little comfort as it doesn’t change what’s happened, but it does take a dangerous man off the streets and offers some justice to the family and friends left behind.”
In a statement, Mr Allsop’s partner Ms Newell said: “I cannot put into words how this has affected our whole family. My children have lost their hero and I have lost my chosen person – the person I chose to spend my life with.
‘’My best friend, soulmate, my first love. Our lives will never be the same without Dean, but we will continue to keep his memory alive.”
Crosbie will be sentenced on 21 September.
Additional reporting by SWNS
