UK NEWS
NEIGHBOUR KNIFED TO DEATH TRYING TO GET IN WRONG HOUSE
By Nick Fagge
A DISTRAUGHT home owner is facing possible murder charges after killing a drunken neighbour he had mistaken for a burglar.
Builder Edwin Pitkin, 58, grabbed a knife as his wife dialled 999 when they thought an intruder was breaking into their home in the night.
A scuffle broke out and the knife became embedded in the stranger’s heart leaving him lying dead on the doorstep.
Tragically, it then emerged that the victim was Mark Woods, 32, who had recently moved in four doors away.
Forklift truck driver Mr Woods was apparently so drunk that he mistook the address for his own and tried to force his way into the house.
Mr Pitkin was arrested on suspicion of murder in the early hours of Saturday and released on police bail on Sunday after 36 hours of questioning.
Last night Mr Pitkin, who has a wife Thelma and two children, Samantha, 27, and Leon, 25, was in hiding.
His solicitor Steve Law said the devoted family man had acted only to defend his family.
He said: “This is a tragic story. Edwin was at home with his wife when somebody tried to get in. He went out to confront him and get him away from the property.
“He went to protect himself and his wife and this has somehow happened. The family is distraught.”
The Pitkins’ Victorian terrace in Hendon, north London, has a front door and roof gables that closely match the entrance to Mr Woods’s bedsit.
Last night a police tent remained erected at the Pitkins’ front door as forensics officers searched for clues. Neighbours told of their shock. One said: “This could have happened to any of us if that man had banged on our door.
“This is a nice, quiet area, the last place you would expect something like this to happen.
“You would never expect Edwin to be in trouble with the police. They are a lovely, decent, hard-working couple, always busy but friendly.”
Those who knew Mr Woods revealed he was a violent drug addict and alcoholic who was on probation.
He told friends on Friday that he planned a weekend of bingeing to celebrate his 33rd birthday today.
One friend said: “Mark was a nice guy but was an alcoholic. He also did crack cocaine and heroin. He was on probation because of his drinking and he had convictions for punching people – that sort of thing. Mark spent all Friday drinking. He had bottles of cider lined up in his room and when I spoke to him in the afternoon he’d clearly had too much to drink.”
It was not the first time he had gone to the wrong house. The same thing had happened on New Year’s Eve.
A friend said: “I was coming home with him that night and he went to someone else’s house by mistake.”
Scotland Yard said Mr Pitkin had been bailed pending inquiries and would return to a London police station later this month. Inquiries by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command were ongoing “to establish the circumstances”.
The case follows that of shopkeeper Tony Singh who was arrested for murder after he killed a robber with the raider’s own knife.
Mr Singh, 34, of Skelmersdale, Lancs, was ambushed by Liam Kilroe, 34, at knifepoint as he was about to drive home after a 13-hour day at his corner shop.
Police last week confirmed that the wounded shopkeeper acted in self-defence and would not face a murder charge.
In 2000, farmer Tony Martin was charged with murder after shooting 16-year-old burglar Fred Barras at his isolated farm, in Emneth Hungate, Norfolk. He was convicted of manslaughter and served three years in prison.
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MORE RUBBISH
03.03.08, 12:50pm
More rubbish from the weak kneed CPS, the man was defending his home from an intruder, it doesnt matter if the guy lived a few doors down, he was breaking in to a home of another person, and so takes the consiquences. PC gone barmy again, sorry but if someone tried to break into my home then they would get what for and sod all of the looney do gooders.
• Posted by: Russell42 • Report Comment
DRUNKEN NEIGHBOUR.
03.03.08, 12:13pm
Do not press charges.
Those that do, or if they do, " these are the criminals." Traitors to the Brittish Public.
Yet one more Tratorous act.
Divide @ Rule.
• Posted by: juan01 • Report Comment
ALL CHARGES SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN
03.03.08, 1:24am
The person comitting the crime was drunk and a drug addict which is his own problem now he died trying to attack an inocent family in their home, no allawances should be made for him as he drank the alcohol and took the drugs and this should make the crime more serious, the house owner was protecting his home and family in self defense and should be compensated for what he has been put through and all charges dropped How would anyone like a drunk and drugged thug like this to break into their home.
• Posted by: CAN • Report Comment
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