Man jailed for stabbing homeless man to death in Exeter street

A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering a homeless man after an argument in Exeter.

Brian Jewell denied murdering 45-year-old Stephen Cook but was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court.

Mr Cook died in January after suffering a single stab wound to the chest in Sidwell Street. The court heard how the knife that was used had been bought the day before the murder for Jewell, who said he wanted it for safety.

Both men were known in the homeless community and a witness said they got into a drunken fight when Mr Cook threatened Jewell with a broken bottle.

It's believed it was after this that Mr Cook was stabbed. He went into a betting shop covered in blood and emergency services were called, but he died an hour later in hospital.

Jewell was arrested later that night and witnesses led police to where the murder weapon had been hidden.

A member of Mr Cook's family said: "As many are aware, Dad certainly had made mistakes, as have we all but circulating comments online insinuate that he deserved to die.

“Although such a hurtful comment doesn’t deserve our attention, these people are simply ignorant to addiction and uneducated in a social and legal environment and should know that he had a golden heart and a beautiful personality when he wasn’t intoxicated, and this side was disregarded in the trial, but he is so loved and missed every day."

During sentencing, Mr Justice Saini said he took a number of factors into account including Jewell's background, lack of premeditation, and excessive self-defence.

Jewell was also sentenced for two unrelated charges; one of unlawful wounding of a man in May 2021 for which he was sentenced to one year. And for assaulting a prison officer while on remand he was sentenced to 15 months, both to be served concurrently.