Grantham man stabbed friend to death after mistakenly believing he'd stolen from him

A Lincolnshire man stabbed and beat his friend to death after becoming convinced he had stolen from him. Nicholas Ward, 38, of Eton Street, Grantham, carried out the brutal assault on Tony McDermott at his shared house during the early hours of October 14, 2023, after a night of drinking and taking drugs.

Ward believed that his friend had stolen his work tablet as well as another electronic tablet used by his daughter. A witness reported hearing Ward shout at Mr McDermott during the assault, saying that he would lose his job if his work tablet was not returned to him.

Despite Mr McDermott repeatedly denying taking the devices, Ward brutally attacked his friend for around two hours, leaving him with multiple stab and slash wounds and other injuries all over his body. Mr McDermott died at the scene and the tablets were later recovered by the police in a bag belonging to Ward.

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Ward pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder but was found guilty by a jury at Lincoln Crown Court, following a two-week trial. He will be sentenced on Thursday, May 2.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Lovatt, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "Ward’s actions were completely and utterly unnecessary, and brutal. Ward’s belief that Tony had stolen from him, which then prompted such anger, had no foundation whatsoever.

"Had he checked his own bags properly, and listened to his friend who both denied stealing from him and pleaded with Ward to believe him, Tony’s family would not be without their loved one today. This attack was sustained, and cruel.

"I would like to pay tribute to Tony’s family for their strength in getting through what was a very difficult trial to listen to. It is finding justice for victims like Tony that we come to work for, and I hope that today his family will be able to start looking to the future and how that may now look without him."

Ward was identified as the person responsible for Mr McDermott's death shortly after the incident, and he was arrested while walking past a McDonald's with blood on his hands and clothes. The blood was later forensically matched to Mr McDermott.

At trial, Ward admitted that he had killed his friend but tried to maintain that he had lost control because he believed that Mr McDermott had stolen his work tablet. He also claimed he had acted in self-defence. The judge ruled that there was a lack of evidence for the jury to consider loss of control, and the jury then rejected that he had acted in self-defence.