Burglar, 27, murdered pensioner, 69, in own home days after release from prison in cocaine-fuelled knife rampage, boasting 'my name is Blades because I stab people'

A burglar murdered a 69-year-old antheral successful his ain location conscionable 2 days aft being released from prison.

Owen Blades, 27, stabbed retired carer John Connolly with a weapon helium bought conscionable a time aft leaving jail.

Blades who had binged connected cocaine and alcohol had earlier told a store information defender 'my sanction is Blades, and its Blades for a reason, due to the fact that I stab people.'

Mr Connolly's assemblage was not recovered until 5 days aft his death, by which clip Blades was already successful custody for different stabbing. 

He present faces beingness successful jailhouse aft admitting murder.  

Lincoln Crown Court heard Blades had been released from situation successful Lincoln connected June 11 past twelvemonth - a period aft helium was jailed for 12 months for assault. He was released aboriginal owed to clip spent connected remand.

After leaving prison, helium took a bid to Gainsborough, Lincs. aft withdrawing £200.

The pursuing time Blades travelled to Scunthorpe wherever helium went to a store and bought a stiletto benignant weapon with a 5 and fractional inch leaf aft showing his identification.

The tribunal heard Blades returned to Lincoln connected the greeting of June 13 and stole items from a Tesco store earlier moving connected to Merkur Slots wherever helium stabbed a antheral who was moving astatine the amusement arcade.

Prosecutors said helium attacked Tyler Baxter erstwhile helium asked him not to portion from a vessel of alcohol. Blades threatened to 'put him successful a coffin' erstwhile Mr Baxter picked up a telephone to ringing 999.

Blades continued connected to adjacent Portland Street wherever a witnesser saw helium was carrying a knife.

The tribunal heard Blades past went into a location connected Portland Street and burgled the spot earlier moving connected to fig 73 Portland Street - wherever Mr Connolly lived alone.

There was nary motion of forced introduction and it was apt Mr Connolly had opened the doorway to Blades, the tribunal was told.

Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu said: 'The suspect past subjected Mr Connolly to an contiguous and sustained onslaught with the knife.'

Blood was recovered each implicit crushed level and Mr Connolly was recovered dormant successful his armchair.

The pensioner's apparel and slippers were covered successful blood, and helium had suffered a fig of wounds including to the apical of his head, his neck, his near eyeball and close ear.

Mr Sandhu revealed: 'Mr Connolly had been struck astatine slightest 18 times with a knife.'

A antiaircraft coiled indicated Mr Connolly had tried to support himself from the attack.

The pensioner died from stab wounds to the cervix and humor stains showed Blades had moved astir the location and spent implicit 3 hours successful the spot earlier leaving.

Mr Sandhu said constabulary did be extracurricular the spot astatine lunchtime connected June 13 but officers did not participate oregon sound astatine the property.

The tribunal heard Blades disguised himself and went to different spot successful Portland Street wherever a pistillate messaged a person and stated 'this feline has stabbed 2 people, 1 dead.'

Mr Sandhu said Blades had humor stained slope notes successful his possession which helium said was apt to person been stolen from Mr Connolly, who had a important magnitude of wealth successful his home.

Blades was arrested by equipped constabulary connected the evening if June 13 successful Portland Street successful transportation with the stabbing of Mr Baxter astatine the amusement arcade. 

But Mr Connolly's assemblage was not recovered for 5 days until June 18 erstwhile household members including his 2 sisters went to his home. 

Blades, who was successful custody successful transportation with the stabbing astatine Merkur Slots amusement arcade successful Lincoln, was identified arsenic a suspect.

Blades remained soundless during a bid of constabulary interviews.

The tribunal heard Mr Connolly had worked arsenic a carer and inactive helped successful the assemblage aft his retirement.

Mr Connolly had a adjacent narration with his 2 sisters and their families.

One of his sisters described Mr Connolly arsenic 'a precise caring and loving person,' Mr Sandhu said.

Blades, of Tennyson Street, Gainsborough, faces beingness successful jailhouse erstwhile helium is sentenced connected Thursday aft helium admitted murder. He besides pleaded blameworthy to 4 different offences which helium committed connected June 13 past year.

They were the burglary astatine 99 Portland Street, Lincoln; having an violative weapon, namely a weapon successful Lincoln High Street; theft of nutrient from a Tesco Express successful Lincoln High Street; and wounding Tyler Baxter with intent to origin him grievous bodily harm.

The tribunal heard Blades had 8 erstwhile convictions including offences of artillery and wounding for which helium was jailed for 7 years.

The victims included his ain parent and an ex-partner.

Blades was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment successful May 2024 for an offence of battle occassioning existent bodily harm but released from Lincoln situation connected June 11 due to the fact that of the clip helium had already served successful custody connected remand since November 2023.

Phil Bradley KC, defending Blades, argued determination was not capable grounds to suggest helium killed Mr Connolly for fiscal gain.

Mr Bradley submitted that Blades had capable currency successful his slope relationship which helium withdrew aft being released from jail.

'He (Blades) simply does not retrieve what happened,' Mr Bradley suggested.