Surrey man who stabbed his brother in the heart found guilty of murder

A man who stabbed his brother in the heart, has been found guilty of murder following a 10 day trial at Lewes Crown Court.

The jury reached a unanimous verdict in finding 36-year-old Danny Craze, from West Molesey, guilty of the murder of 26-year-old Louis Craze on 18 November 2023.

The court heard how officers were sent to an address in Bishop Fox Way after receiving a 999 call reporting that a man had been stabbed inside a house.

Louis Craze was found dead. A post-mortem determined that he had died from a single stab wound to the heart.

His brother, Danny Craze, was arrested for the murder of his brother that afternoon.

The fatal stabbing took place following a verbal altercation between the brothers.

Danny told the court that his brother walked into the knife that he was holding to protect himself. However, Police say witness testimony, CCTV footage and digital and forensic evidence proved that this was not the case.

Paying tribute to Louis, his family said, “The only word to describe how the family is feeling is heartbroken."

"We would ask that people appreciate that this is a sad and tragic time for the family and that we are left alone to grieve for Louis in peace whilst we try to understand what has happened.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Hicks, said, “Firstly, my thoughts and condolences are with the family of Louis Craze who have been left devastated by the death of Louis and the circumstances surrounding it."

“A senseless act of violence not only took the life of Louis but also rippled out to affect his loved ones and the local community."

“This has been a very complex and sensitive case, but I would like to thank the investigation team for working tirelessly to ensure we had a comprehensive case to put to the jury and to get justice for Louis.”

Danny Craze will be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Monday (13 May) 2024.

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