Teen Gets Ten Years For Killing Disabled Guest

A teenager, who stabbed a drunken partially-sighted father-of-two to death during a petty argument, has been caged for ten years.

Jordan Kelly-Flattery, 19, (pic.top) of West Close, Hitchin was cleared of murdering Stondon man Graham 'Snowy' Snowden, 36, at the house in Milestone Road, Hitchin in the early hours of January 8, but convicted of manslaughter.

"You took that knife to the house to have it available if necessary to use it as a weapon," the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon told the defendant. "It is very clear to me that it was your knife that you did carry from time to time."

During the trial Kelly-Flattery, whose brother Sean Flattery is serving life for a Hitchin knife murder, claimed the weapon belonged to Mr. Snowden (pic.bottom) and was dropped as the pair fought in the hallway.

"Killing with a knife in these circumstances does aggravate the offence," added Judge McKinnon.

During the two-week trial the court heard that Mr. Snowden, enjoying a rare night out, ended up at the address after his drinking-pal Shane Howard brought him there.

Mr. Snowden, who used a walking-stick after a serious car crash several years ago, had difficulty rising from the sofa and was twice pushed back down by the defendant, which sparked a row between the pair.

He was stabbed in the hallway by Kelly-Flattery, who told the jury he was acting in self-defence after Mr. Snowden pulled the knife from his waistband and it dropped to the floor.

The defendant fled via the living-room window, dumped the knife in a wheelie bin in Westmill Road, and with the help of a friend hid his clothing on the edge of Brocket Hall Golf Course.

"Mr. Snowden was a vulnerable man, but it was not a case that he was targeted," said the judge. "He did have difficulty getting about, his movement was slow due to brain damage and he had been drinking heavily and had taken cocaine that day.

"The killing was relatively spontaneous and I cannot be sure there was in intent to kill, given how quick the incident was.

"Mr. Snowden protested about what he saw as your obnoxious behaviour, pushing him back down on the sofa and the use of that knife was utterly despicable."

The victim suffered a stab wound to his left and arm and a fatal wound to his chest, severing his aorta.

Kelly-Flattery's QC Mr. Alan Kent said: "There is no evidence the defendant knew of Mr. Snowden's disability or vulnerability or targeted him in any way.

"The pushes were not done in a deliberately vicious or provocative way, but it was either as the defendant said to stop Mr. Snowden falling over or a playful push taken in the wrong way by the victim.

"There was aggression by Mr. Snowden towards the defendant and this was broken up and he was asked to leave the premises, but rather than leave he returned."

Judge McKinnon did not deem Kelly-Flattery a dangerous offender, who must serve a minimum term, and told the defendant he would be released after completing half of the sentence, minus time already served on remand.