CCTV shows murderer fleeing victim's Norwich flat after stabbing him in drug deal gone wrong
CCTV shows the moment a murderer hurriedly fleeing the flat of his victim, nearly two weeks before his decomposing body was found slumped on his sofa.
Theodore Lynch, 41, stabbed Leslie Smith in the neck at his flat in Norwich on 5 October 2021 after a drug deal went wrong.
He then left the home at Suffolk Square, leaving his victim's body to decompose for 12 days.
The court heard Lynch had given Mr Smith, 63, money to buy drugs but then stabbed him to death when he failed to do so.
Lynch was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 22 years at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday.
The CCTV footage showed Lynch hastily leaving the scene - jogging down the stairs and pressing on the exit button multiple times to leave the building.
Lynch then ran to an ex-partner’s house with blood on his hands and clothing, telling her, "I’ve pushed something into someone’s neck".
Police found Mr Smith's body when concerns were raised by a neighbour on 17 October.
His death was originally treated as not suspicious, before a post-mortem examination found he had been stabbed in the front of the neck.
Lynch, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, was found guilty of Mr Smith's murder on Wednesday following a two-week trial.
Det Ch Insp Chris Burgess said: “This was a complex investigation frustrated by the delay in discovering Leslie Smith’s body at his flat in Suffolk Square around 12 days after we believe he was murdered.
“While it was initially treated as unexplained, the thorough expert processes we have in place ensured we were able to reconsider what had occurred and we launched a murder investigation.
“My thoughts remain with Leslie’s family and friends and while today’s sentencing cannot bring Leslie back, I hope it offers a degree of comfort that the man responsible is behind bars where he can’t hurt anyone else.”
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