Boy, 4, sees dad knifed to death in ‘road rage killing’
A PEDESTRIAN stabbed a driver to death in a road rage attack in front of the victim’s young son, a court has heard.
Alexander Layton, 34, plunged the carving knife four times into James Stokoe whose four-yearold lad was sat in the back.
The blows, captured in CCTV and dash cam footage, severed an artery in Mr Stokoe’s right thigh causing fatal blood loss. Layton, who was arrested the next day, said he had acted in self defence.
Peter Makepeace QC, prosecuting, told the jury the video footage showed Layton acted in “anger, albeit in a calm, considered, but brutal manner”.
The row started after Layton walked in front of the BMW and Mr Stokoe was forced to bring it to an abrupt halt, the jury heard.
Layton produced the knife and stabbed Mr Stokoe who was sat in the car, the jury heard. It was added Layton then closed the car door, returned the blade to his backpack and “calmly” walked off also carrying bags of groceries.
Passers-by, including a nurse, tried to save Mr Stokoe, 40, but he was declared dead 20 minutes after the attack in May last year.
The court was told Mr Stokoe’s wife, who was in the family home, heard the sirens and texted to tell him to use a different route as there was some kind of incident.
A resident took the boy from the car and looked after him until his mum could pick him up.
It was said Layton, who denies murder, claimed he had the knife due to a camping trip he went on after the attack in Thornaby, Teesside, where both men lived.
Two hours before the killing, Layton threatened to stab to death an associate, Teesside crown court in Middlesbrough was told. The trial continues.