Lincoln man murdered two days after killer’s prison release

A man murdered a 69-year-old man in his own home just two days after being released from prison, a court has heard.

Owen Blades, 27, stabbed retired carer John Connolly to death at his terrace house in Portland Street, Lincoln, with a knife he bought a day after his release.

Blades, from Gainsborough, has admitted murdering Mr Connolly on the morning of 13 June 2024.

He is due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday.

Harpreet Sandhu KC, prosecuting, told a pre-sentence hearing Blades had been released from HMP Lincoln on 11 June after serving a sentence for assault.

He then took a train to Gainsborough after withdrawing £200.

While there, Blades told a store security guard that “my name is Blades, and it’s Blades for a reason, because I stab people”, the court heard.

Mr Sandhu said the following day Blades travelled to Scunthorpe, where he bought a stiletto-style knife for £25.

“It was a large dagger-style lock knife,” Mr Sandhu told the court.

“It was the knife he would use to stab Mr Connolly to death.”

After returning to Lincoln, Blades stole items from Tesco before moving on to gaming venue Merkur Slots.

The court heard he refused a request not to drink alcohol on the premises and threatened to put a member of staff “in a coffin” after they picked up the phone to call police.

“As the defendant said that, he pulled out a knife,” Mr Sandhu said.

The victim suffered a single stab wound to his abdomen.

After that attack, Blades burgled a house on Portland Street before going to Mr Connolly’s home.

There was no sign of forced entry and it was likely Mr Connolly had opened the door to Blades, the court was told.

Mr Sandhu said: “The defendant then subjected Mr Connolly to an immediate and sustained attack with the knife.”

The victim was found five days later dead in his armchair with multiple stab wounds.

As well as murder, Blades, of Tennyson Street, Gainsborough, pleaded guilty to four other offences – burglary, theft, wounding with intent and carrying an offensive weapon.