Gay man died in “homophobic” knife attack in public toilet

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A 30 year old unemployed father has denied murdering a gay man at a public toilet in Surrey earlier this year.

Peter Jeffrey Akers, 50, a gay man from Wallington, was attacked with an eight inch carving knife on February 19th in toilets near Walton Bridge that police said are “a popular meeting place for men.”

He was taken by air ambulance to St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey where he died. A post-mortem revealed that he died from a single stab wound to the back.

A retired accountant, he lived with his partner of 22 years.

In the Old Bailey yesterday the court was told that Mark Malone, 30, from Walton-on-Thames, was responsible.

He handed himself in to police two days after the stabbing and claimed Mr Akers tried to make sexual advances towards him in the toilets.

He denies murder.

“Such was the force used in the attack that the knife sliced through one of his ribs and caused a fatal haemorrhage,” prosecution lawyer Ann Cotcher told the Old Bailey.

“It was a totally unprovoked attack by Mark Malone and the only possible motive, homophobia, a dislike of homosexuals.

“It was a deliberate attack and it was a ferocious attack.”

Jurors will be asked to decide if Malone, who drank a bottle of vodka before the incident, acted deliberately or if the stabbing was an accident.

Miss Cotcher said it was not in dispute that Malone caused the fatal blow.

The trail continues.

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