A man has been found guilty of manslaughter after knifing his sister’s ‘nuisance’ ex-boyfriend to death.
Liam Fosbrook, 29, repeatedly stabbed Dylan Towers, 35, after he kept turning up at his sibling’s house – despite a court order banning him from contacting her.
A trial heard that Mr Towers had turned up at his ex-partner’s new home in the early hours of 17 December 2021 but was confronted by a knife-weilding Fosbrook.
After a brief exchange, Fosbrook brutally stabbed Mr Towers in the street, and he died from his injuries 12 days later on December 29.
Fosbrook, from south Manchester, denied manslaughter. But he was found guilty by a jury after a two-week trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.
Dylan Towers, 35, was stabbed to death by Liam Fosbrook, 29 after he kept turning up at his sister’s house
Fosbrook brutally stabbed the ‘nuisance ex-boyfriend’ to death before throwing the knives in a next door neighbour’s garden and hiding another under his sister’s Christmas tree
The relationship between Mr Towers and Fosbrook’s sister had ended, but he continued to ‘harass and pester her’, turning up at her home uninvited and assaulting her
The trial heard the relationship between Mr Towers and Fosbrook’s sister had ended, but he continued to ‘harass and pester her’.
Neil Fryman, prosecuting, told jurors: ‘Dylan was clearly a nuisance, but he was not dangerous.’
Mr Towers, was banned from contacting Fosbrook’s sister or going near her home but he breached the order on a number of occasions between June and August 2021 and regularly turned up at her front door.
She became so desperate she messaged her brother asking for help.
The court was told that following several breaches of the restraining order, and an alleged assault on her, Mr Towers was then issued with a domestic violence protection order, which was due to run out on December 16.
As a result of Mr Towers’ repeated unwanted appearances at her home and their regular contact, her children were put into care.
Fosbrook was asked by his mum to stay with his sister for a night after she had moved into a new home following concerns she was ‘suicidal’ and he was dropped off by police.
Officers were then called to the house that night after Mr Towers was spotted outside.
As a result of Mr Tower’s repeated unwanted appearances at her home Fosbrook’s sister’s children were taken into care
A fight between the ex-partner and brother ensued in which Fosbrook took out knives from his sister’s home and stabbed Mr Towers in the street
When officers took a statement from Fosbrook, they noticed several kitchen knives were laid out around the living room. He told jurors he had taken a knife out because he was ‘scared’ of Mr Towers getting into the house.
In the early hours of of December 17, Mr Towers was captured on CCTV walking around near the house with a JD Sports bag. Fosbrook went outside to confront him with a knife.
A fight ensued, during which he stabbed Mr Towers in the street leaving him with multiple wounds to his chest, abdomen and neck.
He then threw the knife into a neighbour’s garden and a second knife was found under his sister’s Christmas tree. Both contained traces of Mr Towers’ blood.
The victim was rushed to hospital and treated for a wound to his neck, which was near his carotid artery and jugular vein.
He had emergency surgery, but developed organ failure and later suffered a massive haemorrhage with repeated cardiac arrests. He died from his injuries on December 29.
In a police interview, Fosbrook said Mr Towers had tried to get into the house through the back door and said he armed himself in self-defence.
He claimed Mr Towers attacked him and ‘went for his waistband’, and said he was ‘intoxicated’.
Fosbrook claimed he stabbed Mr Towers in self-defence and was scared he would harm his sister
Despite emergency surgery Mr Towers developed organ failure and later suffered a massive haemorrhage with repeated cardiac arrests. He died from his injuries
Giving evidence, he claimed that he was trying to protect his sister as he believed that Mr Towers ‘wanted to kill her’.
Breaking down in the witness box, Fosbrook said: ‘I was just frightened of him trying to get into the house and trying to get to my sister.
‘After everything I had seen and read and all the previous messages, I thought he was going to try and kill her.’
He told jurors he got out a knife because he was ‘scared’ of Mr Towers trying to get into the house.
After going outside to speak to Mr Towers, Fosbrook said: ‘He was just screaming and shouting, I said ‘you need to go’. It just came to a head, he ran towards me throwing his arms at me. He dropped the bag and lunged towards me, he hit me a couple of times.’
He said they ended up ‘grabbing hold of each other’ and there was a ‘struggle’.
After the fight came to an end Fosbrook said he was going back to the house when Mr Towers said to him: ‘You’re going to f****** get it now.’
Fosbrook said: ‘I turned around and he was coming towards me, he was reaching towards his waistband and I thought he had a weapon on him. I thought he was going to do anything to try and kill me and get to my sister.’
It was at that point Fosbrook said he removed the knife from his pocket and ‘swung his arm around’.
Fosbrook added: ‘I think the knife made contact.’
Fosbrook was previously cleared of murder following an earlier trial. He will be sentenced on April 3.
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 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.’