Man guilty of murdering 75-year-old friend

A Rochdale man has been found guilty of murdering his friend and aggravated burglary of his ex-partner's home following an attack in January last year.

Andrew Hall, 59, attended the home of Geoffrey Ives, 75, on Hardfield Street, Heywood, at approximately 10pm on Friday 27 January 2023. He was armed with two knives: a small tradesman knife and a 7.5cm bladed vegetable knife.

Hall left the flat just 19 minutes later, leaving Mr Ives with stab wounds to his face and neck causing extensive blood loss which led to his death. He also left his baseball cap at the flat.

Immediately after the attack, in breach of a restraining order for previously harassing his ex-partner, Hall travelled by taxi to her home in Middleton and smashed his way in through the conservatory door.

When he realised his ex-partner was not present, Hall threatened those who were in the house with the two knives, including the vegetable knife he had used to stab Mr Ives just an hour before.

Hall's ex-partner's son tackled and restrained Hall until police arrived. Officers seized the vegetable knife which had been discarded in an upstairs room.

After being arrested for aggravated burglary, he told officers he had been "settling scores" that night but refused to give them further details.

Mr Ives' body was discovered two days later. Following a police investigation, Hall was linked to his death and when the vegetable knife was forensically examined, it contained Mr Ives' blood.

At a previous hearing Hall pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order but denied murder and aggravated burglary. Today, following a trial, he has been found guilty of those offences.

Joanne Cunliffe, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "Andrew Hall is clearly a very dangerous man who was prepared to threaten and use violence against anyone he crossed paths with that night.

"After carrying out an unprovoked knife attack on the man who he considered a friend, he left him to bleed to death, took the murder weapon to his ex-partner's home and threatened to hurt her family with it if they did not tell him where she was.

"We worked closely with the police to build a strong case against him. After carefully considering the evidence we presented to the jury, including extensive CCTV footage and forensic evidence, they have today found him guilty of the offences he faced.

"My thoughts are with the family and friends of Geoffrey Ives at this difficult time, and with all those affected by his violent actions that night."